Road to Recovery
by CaptainTwigs
Summary: (Sequel to Sick Days) Hotch is slowly healing, but there isn't much he can do. Rossi, of course, is doing all he can, as well as the whole team, but it's going to be a long and bumpy Road to Recovery for Special Agent Aaron Hotchner.
1. Chapter 1

**(Welcome everybody to Road to Recovery :) This is a sequel to my first fic Sick Days, so lets get this show on the road shall we?)**

Aaron Hotchner sat on his couch. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall. '7:47' He had expected Dave over by now. It had been a tradition ever since Aaron had gotten out of the hospital and able to take care of himself. Dave would come over every night after work and hang out with him. Sometimes he would talk about cases the team was on, Rossi choosing to stay behind of course, but it didn't bother him. Dave needed to be there for Aaron until he fully got back on his feet.

It had been about a month since Hotch had gotten out of the hospital. The prescriptions piled up on his counter. Once Hotch left the sterile building, Rossi was attached to his side for almost two weeks before Hotch finally told Dave to go home, tired of the constant attention and worry.

Hotch's arm twitched. He bit his lip and frowned, grabbing onto his wrist, wanting it to stop. After a few seconds it calmed down. He sighed with relief and shook his head. The medication they had put him on wasn't working as much as they hoped. His muscle didn't spasm as long, but some days were still better than others. There had been a couple days where it almost seemed like his arm never stopped.

Every Tuesday and Thursday Hotch went back to the hospital for physical therapy. Usually they focused on his arm, which the doctor's told him could be the reason for many of the seizure like symptoms he felt in his arm.

His hearing hadn't gotten much better since he left the hospital. He was given two hearing aids, one for each ear.

 _Smith stepped into Hotch's hospital room, having transferred the recovering man out of the ICU. Hotch was sitting up, for once his room empty of visitors, having told everyone to go home and get some rest._

 _Hotch didn't really speak much now. To him, it almost seemed impossible to communicate. His brow furrowed as he spotted the devices in the man's hands._

 _Smith saw the confusion on Aaron's face and chuckled quietly. He held up the devices so Hotch could get a better look._

 _Hotch frowned. His eyes fell to the bed. Hearing aids? He bit his lip, but nodded slightly and held out his hand for them. He looked up as Smith set them in his hand. He turned them over in his palm. They were smaller than any other devices he had seen. They looked like their own earpieces they had back with the BAU. The thought that had been bugging him all week slowly resurfaced. Would he ever be able to really hear again? He sighed quietly and shook his head._

 _Smith sighed and sat on the edge of Hotch's bed. He quickly scribbled something down on a blank piece of paper. He didn't want to yell just so Hotch would be able to hear him. He turned the paper so Aaron could see._

 _'This is the only way, Agent Hotchner…people won't see you as weak. They know what hell you've been through.'_

 _Hotch's eyes scanned the paper. He looked back up at Smith, the man nodded. Hotch looked down at the hearing aids, but nodded. He carefully slipped them on, easily fitting them on his ears, having practiced a plethora of times when using their own earpiece. He looked back up at the doctor._

 _Smith offered him a small smile before he walked to the side of the bed and carefully turned each aid on. He slowly turned them up a bit before taking a step back, watching Hotch's face light up. "Agent Hotchner?" He asked quietly. The whole staff was unsure if using hearing aids would even work. It was a long shot, but it was all they could do._

 _Hotch blinked, his lips forming a smile. "I..I can hear you." He spoke softly, his own voice rough with disuse. "I can hear you!"_

Hotch still hadn't gotten in much of a habit of putting them in every morning when he woke up. For the first two weeks Rossi would always remind him, since the older man slept over every night. But now since Dave was back to sleeping at his own place, Aaron ended up forgetting to put them in. It was usually until he turned on the tv or made toast in the morning that he realized and had to go back to his bedroom to grab them.

His hearing was getting a little better. Sometimes if it were just Rossi and him he would be able to take them off and focus on the man and he would understand. Sure it was a little quiet, but he always preferred that than wearing the damn things. However, being with a large group was the opposite. There was always too much to focus on, so Hotch always needed to wear his hearing aids if the whole team came over, but that only happened maybe once or twice.

He didn't have much to do in his little apartment. He was going stir crazy sitting in here all day. He missed his family…but he called Haley after about a week of being home and told her everything that happened so she could hear it from him and not Dave when he tried to explain it. He told her that he needed time to get back on his feet, but mainly he just didn't want Jack to see him like this.

He wanted to go back to work. Certain cases Rossi didn't want to talk about, so Hotch almost had to force it out of him. He just wanted to get back out there. That was another question that he had needed to ask the doctors.

 _"Will I ever…be able to go back to work?" Hotch asked quietly, scratching at his ears, not yet used to the devices that remained in his ears._

 _Smith looked down at his clipboard, juggling the words in his brain like a circus act. He bit his lip and sighed. He shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know. You may be cleared for desk work, but I'm not sure if you'll ever be in the field again." He said, his eyes falling onto Hotch's arm. "It seems as though it'd be a bit of a problem to aim with a shaking arm." He knew that Hotch's arm just got worse with stress, which meant being in the field and chasing down an Unsub, wasn't the best option. "If these medications do the trick, than I think there is a good possibility, but honestly Agent Hotchner…I don't know."_

Thats what upset him…the pills weren't working. He told the doctors and they said they would try to find something else, but they weren't sure if they would be able to find anything.

The muscle spasms didn't hurt…they never did, it was one of the only things holding him back from being an agent again. His ears were a smaller problem. He hated wearing his aids, but if it meant he could be out there again, chasing monsters…he would do it.

But right now there wasn't much Aaron could do except sit on his couch and wait for Dave. He sat criss-cross on the couch, his fingers impatiently tapping against his knee. Now it was past eight and Dave was never late without a call.

Finally the front door opened. Hotch had given Dave a key, figuring that he wouldn't be able to hear a knock most of the time. Dave sighed heavily and set his bag by the door. He looked over at Hotch, the man having not moved since he came in. Damn…he forgot his hearing aid again. Rossi rolled his eyes and stepped into the living room, his shadow catching Hotch's eye.

 _'Hey'_ Hotch signed easily, having dedicated a lot of his spare time now to learning sign language. Of course he could talk, but it was difficult to form words when sometimes you couldn't even hear your own words. Even if he spoke sometimes he would end up signing, it was just a habit by now.

Rossi offered him a smile and held up the brown paper bag. _'You hungry?'_ He tilted his head and sat down in the chair opposite Hotch.

Hotch nodded, watching as Rossi set out the takeout. _'What took so long?'_ He signed as he caught Dave's eye.

Dave shook his head and grabbed some chopsticks before he settled into his chair with his meal. _'A case.'_ He returned easily. He pointed to the food, knowing that Aaron would want to focus on the case instead of _'Eat.'_

Aaron rolled his eyes like a kid, but nodded. He grabbed his chopsticks and the food, nodding a 'thank you' as he began to eat.

Once the pair had finished their meals, Rossi cleaned up before he sat back down in his usual spot. He grabbed the sign language book off the table that he had bought for Hotch. Hotch had always asked him where Dave had learned to sign, but he never told him. It was just another one of Dave's many secret perks.

He flipped open the book to a random page, having assigned certain pages for Aaron to learn, but also to strengthen up his arm and wrist. The doctors had assigned a bit of physical therapy at home, and Dave was there to make sure he always did it, as well as do it right.

He figured it would be the easiest way to communicate, especially if he kept forgetting, or just not wanting, to put his hearing aids in. The ones the doctors had specially designed for Aaron were almost undetectable, but the man still refused to wear them due to his damn pride.

Rossi signed a few of the words from the book before looking up, quizzing Aaron. Aaron easily finger spelled the words back, Rossi nodding once Aaron got them right. Aaron's wrist started to shake. He silently cursed his dominant hand and grabbed his wrist shaking out his hand, hoping to relax it.

Rossi knew that Aaron's pills weren't working, and thats what worried him. He knew that if Aaron spent any more time in this apartment he would go insane, but its impossible to hold a gun with a shaking hand.

Once Aaron's wrist calmed down, he sighed and finished signing what he had wanted to Rossi, his wrist already sore.

Dave smiled and nodded, turning over a few ideas in his head.

 _'Good job kiddo.'_ He paused, deciding. _'Why don't you come with me to the office tomorrow?'_


	2. Chapter 2

Hotch's face lit up at the thought of going in. He couldn't stand it in his apartment anymore. He knew he wouldn't be allowed to do anything, but maybe, just maybe he could help build a profile. A happy smile found it's way on his face. Hotch looked like a kid on Halloween night. Maybe everything would seem like it was back to normal.

Dave chuckled, watching the excitement on Aaron's face. He rolled his eyes in amusement. _'Guessing that's a yes?'_ He signed easily, a smile on his own face. Aaron nodded eagerly, watching Rossi as he placed the book on the table.

Dave quickly searched through it for more signs for Aaron to learn. He pulled a pen from his bag and marked a few. _'Study these.'_ He pointed down to the book and nodded. He stood up and packed up his things, knowing that he needed to get home and finish up a little bit of work before the morning.

Since Aaron still wasn't back at work, Dave had taken most of his duties, which mainly was just mountains of paperwork. Morgan thankfully took the rest of it after watching Rossi struggle with the load, as well as his own job.

 _'_ _I have to go home to finish work, but I'll pick you up around eight.'_

Aaron nodded in understanding. _'Thank you.'_ He didn't have to tell Dave how much this meant to him. His emotions were clear in his face and that's all that Dave needed.

 _'_ _Of course, kiddo.'_

And than he was gone, leaving Aaron alone in his apartment once again.

Aaron quickly cleaned everything up, thinking like a kid on Christmas morning, the quicker he went to bed, the quicker the day came. He jotted down the signs that Rossi wanted him to focus on for future reference and shut the book, setting the note on top as well as his pen.

He changed from his jeans to shorts and a t-shirt. The weather outside was slowly changing into spring, leaving his apartment a cool medium. He slipped into bed, but he wasn't as tired as he had been before Dave came over. He crossed his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

He thought about tomorrow. Finally he would be going back to the office. He grinned. He planned on convincing Dave to let him do a little bit of desk work. Looking through a couple files couldn't hurt, right?

Anxiety suddenly pushed its way into his chest as his calm, deep breathing staggered. His heart slowly picked up. What would the team say? It seemed different when they had always come over, but he never said anything. They treated him like a porcelain doll, as if one wrong word or move could break him. Would it be worse since he was actually in the office. He swallowed, sitting up as a wake a nausea overcame him. He pulled his knees to his chest, his head dropping between his legs. Damn drugs…the doctor had warned him about many of the side effects, but he hadn't really experienced them before. Maybe it was just his anxiety.

He ran a hand through his hair, thinking of everyone's glances. Their looks of pity that no matter how hard they tried to cover them up…Hotch always saw.

He bit his lip as his stomach churned, the feeling bringing the memories of the hospital back to his mind. He shivered at the thought, hating how helpless he had been, lying on his back in the sterile room with nothing to do expect worry everyone around him.

His stomach slowly calmed down, leaving his arm twitching, his anxiety still sitting on his chest like a weight. He leaned back, resting his back against the headboard. He looked out into the darkness as he slowly regained himself.

He swallowed and nodded to himself. He slowly slipped back underneath the covers. He turned on his side to sneak a glance at his alarm clock. '4:58'

He sighed heavily and shook his head, turning his back to the clock. He pulled the blankets up to his chin and shut his eyes, willing sleep to come.

As soon as he shut his eyes his alarm was going off at six-thirty sharp. He had to get a new alarm ever since he came home. His bed vibrated due to the new alarm and he groaned as he turned and shut off the alarm, the shaking in his bed stopping as well.

He was exhausted. He slowly through the sheets off, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He brushed some hair from his eyes, hoping that a shower would help him feel somewhat better. He just felt...sluggish and gross. He knew it wasn't the two hours of sleep. He ran pretty well on less sometimes.

He made his way to the bathroom, bricks on his feet. He turned on the shower, heading to his closet as it heated up. He looked at his suits, a tiny, tired smile finding its way to his face, but again his heart rate picked up. He swallowed and grabbed one, hanging it up on the door as he undressed and slipped into the shower.

The hot water helped. He pushed his wet hair from his face and opened his eyes, sighing with quiet relief. He spent longer than intended in the shower, but it definitely relaxed him.

He stepped out and easily dried himself off, stealing a glance at the clock. '7:20'

He shrugged it off, figuring he would have plenty of time. He ran the towel over his wet hair before hanging it up to dry.

He pulled his suit off the hanger and slipped it on, buttoning the shirt over his torso. He tucked it into his pants and pulled on his jacket and tied his tie. He looked in the mirror and smoothed himself out, a small smile finding its way to his face. He glanced at his watch. '7:58' He looked up and fixed his tie. He turned on his heels and headed to the living room to grab his things.

Eight o'clock on the dot Rossi was pulling the key from his pocket and unlocking Hotch's apartment door. He pushed open the door, not surprised to find the man sitting on his couch in a suit, reviewing the sign that Dave had assigned the previous night. He raised an eyebrow and shut the door, setting his bag by the door. He sighed heavily when Hotch didn't move at the noise. He slowly walked into the man's peripheral and waved.

Hotch looked up from his book and checked his watch as he saw Rossi. Right on time as usual.

His brow knit as he saw the look on Dave's face. He raised an eyebrow and shook his head, not understanding.

Dave pointed at his ears and signed. _'Where?'_ He crossed his arms and tilted his head, knowing that if Hotch couldn't even hear the door open there was no way he had his aids on. He didn't plan on taking him anywhere without them either.

Hotch took a second to figure out what exactly Dave meant. He scoffed and rolled his eyes, focusing back down on the book.

"Dammit Aaron..." Dave sighed and shook his head. Some days it was like taking care of a little kid. He checked the bedroom first, figuring that's where he usually left them. He bit his lip as he searched, coming up empty handed. He shook his head and continued his quest into the bathroom. There on the counter he found the two tiny pieces that allowed Aaron to hear. He picked them up and held them in his palm as he walked out, setting them over the book Hotch had been focused on.

Hotch looked up at him and shook his head. _'I'm fine.'_ Dave rolled his eyes and shook his head. _'Aaron, you don't even talk without those. Nobody knows sign except for the two of us.'_

Aaron shifted the idea in his head. He hated the damn things. He sighed, knowing that Dave wouldn't give in. He slowly reached for them and put them into his ears. He turned them on and adjusted them, clearly not happy about it.

"Better?" Dave asked, nodding.

Hotch sighed and rolled his eyes. "I guess." He mumbled like a child. "Can we go now, Dave…please?" His throat already hurt, his voice rough with disuse. When he was on his own in his apartment there was almost never a reason to talk except when Dave called him on the phone to check in.

Dave nodded and led the way out the door. He was about to pick up his case before he turned on his heels and held up his hand causing Hotch to freeze in his tracks. "Hey hey, wait a second."

Hotch looked at him, a small flash of annoyance flickering over his gaze. Rossi couldn't help but smile as a bit of the old Hotch shone through. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

Hotch's gaze fell to the ground. He sighed and shook his head, knowing that he couldn't lie to the older man. "Dave, we're going to be late-"

Dave put his hand on Hotch's shoulder and lightly pushed the man to the kitchen. "We've got time. Now sit down and I'll make you something."

Once Dave had gotten Aaron to eat, they made it to the federal building. During the ride, Dave could tell how anxious Aaron was. He glanced down from the road a couple times to see his wrist twitching and it worried him.

He pulled into a parking spot and shut off the car. He turned in his seat to face Aaron. "You okay?"

Aaron sighed, his fingers tapping against his knee. "I…" He shook his head, searching for the right words. "I just want everything to be normal."

Rossi's eyes softened. He sighed lightly. "I know kiddo." He shook his head. "But I don't know how long that'll take." That was the thing that worried him. Now that Haley had moved out with Jack, it was the BAU that became Hotch's home since there wasn't much for him at his apartment anyway. Dave wasn't sure if Hotch would ever be able to come back. Sure maybe he could do a bit of desk work, but being a field agent almost seemed like a stretch, atleast thats what the doctors had said.

He had seen the way the others looked at Hotch, sometimes he even caught himself doing the same. He hated it, but sometimes he couldn't help it.

He squeezed Hotch's shoulder reassuringly. "Come on kiddo, let's go." He offered quietly, nodding.

Hotch took a deep breath and nodded. He stepped out of the car and headed up towards the office with Dave right by his side.


	3. Chapter 3

Morgan and the team sat at their desks, constantly glancing at the time wether it was on their wrists or their computers.

"Must be really important to keep Rossi for an hour." Morgan shook his head, checking the time once again. They had scheduled a team meeting with Strauss for eight thirty. Strauss had wanted to talk about Hotch and how they were running with Morgan acting as the active unit chief while Hotch was away on sick leave, but there was no way they could start without Rossi. Dave was the one who knew the most about Hotch's current condition.

"You think Hotch is okay?" Reid piped up quietly. He closed his book, having no need to mark his page since he would always remember exactly where he stopped. He looked up, a flash of worry vanished from his face.

"If something was up, you know Rossi would call." JJ quietly reassured him with a nod. She offered him a light smile and Reid nodded. He couldn't help but worry, usually Rossi was always the first one in, well now that Hotch didn't come in.

Morgan looked up as the elevator chimed. He sighed with relief as he saw Dave take a step out. He blinked, unsure if his eyes were deceiving him as he saw the taller man step out behind him.

Reid's face lit up. "Hotch!" He said happily, surprise written on his face. He hadn't expected their unit chief back for several more weeks, but he walked up them, looking as healthy as ever. If somebody didn't know of his illness, they wouldn't even notice the minuscule hearing aids stuck in his ears.

Dave hadn't told them that he was planning on bringing Hotch in. He figured it would be a nice surprise since they hadn't been over in a couple weeks. The job just consumed their lives and sometimes they lost track of time.

Hotch smiled as he saw his team, an indescribable sense of joy rushing over his body, pushing away his fears. Until he saw the looks on a few of their faces. Concern. He shrugged it off, his own smile still present on his face. "Hey." He said quietly, still not used to talking aloud.

"How are you feeling?" JJ asked, a light smile over her features as she looked Hotch up and down. Finally it almost seemed normal. Hotch was back and dressed, ready for anything.

Hotch watched cautiously as her eyes traced over him. He couldn't help as his heart slowly picked up. He figured they would point out and question just what he was doing here. He swallowed and nodded, focusing back in. "I'm good, really. I'm hoping to be back sooner rather than later." He leaned back against Dave's desk, his arms crossed over his chest, knowing quite well that if they were anywhere else he would be signing as well as he spoke, just another habit he had picked up.

JJ tilted her head, worry flashing over her gaze, vanishing as soon as it appeared. She looked at her watch. "Damn, that meeting with Strauss." She sighed and nodded, "We've already had her waiting an hour."

Hotch's brow furrowed in confusion. Dave hadn't told him of a meeting. He sent a confused glance in Dave's direction, who just shook his head.

"I'll explain later-"

"Aaron?"

Strauss had come down from her office, wanting to know just what exactly had kept them an hour. Of course she had called, but she figured that it was something worse if Rossi was late. Imagine her surprise when she spotted the recovering man in the middle of the bullpen.

Hotch stood up straight, the smile having vanished from his face. "Strauss." He replied easily.

Strauss sighed quietly, her eyes scanning him up and down. She shook her head, "Come to my office, we'll reschedule this meeting for tomorrow." She nodded to Hotch and turned on her heels, heading back the way she had come, expecting the agent to follow her.

Hotch exchanged a glance with Rossi. _'Tell me later'_ He signed easily, watching Dave nod in response. He couldn't help but notice Spencer's lips moving silently as his eyes followed Hotch's hands. Maybe there was even more they didn't know about the kid… Hotch put that thought to the back of his mind as he followed Strauss.

Hotch shut the door behind him.

"Take a seat." Strauss said easily, having already made herself comfortable behind her desk.

Hotch obliged and sat across from her. He crossed his legs, raising an eyebrow as he studied the look on her face, a bit out of practice with profiling after being cooped up in his apartment for a month. "Ma'am?" He asked quietly, his head tilted, unsure of why she wanted him in here.

Strauss laced her fingers, setting her hands on her desk. She shook his head, locking her eyes with his. "You're looking better." She said, nodding slightly.

Strauss had only visited Hotch's apartment once and it was the day after he came back from the hospital.

Hotch nodded, remaining silent as his wrist twitched lightly. He slipped his hand over it, hoping that Strauss wouldn't see, but of course she did, worry flashing across her gaze.

She sighed quietly. "Aaron…what are you doing back so soon?" She shook her head. "You aren't well." She motioned to his wrist that he made an awful attempt at hiding. "You haven't been cleared, and by the looks of it, it may take longer than the doctors first thought."

As soon as Aaron had gotten back on his feet, he called Strauss. He told her everything that the doctor's had said so she could work everything out. The doctor's had originally said a month and a half to two months, maybe a bit longer.

Hotch's gaze fell to his lap. He sighed quietly and shook his head. "I'm not back yet. Dave just brought me with to get me out." His grip tightened on his wrist, frustration slowly finding its way into his veins. "Hows Morgan doing as Unit Chief?" He said, wanting to take the attention off himself. He cleared his throat, lifting his gaze, his face blank.

Strauss pursed her lip as she studied him. She knew that he didn't want to talk about it, but it needed to be said. "Aaron…do you think you'll ever be okay to come back?"

Fire pushed through Aaron's veins. He slammed his hands on Strauss' desk and pushed himself up, anger bubbling in him. Why did everybody think so little of him? Just because he was down for a week and taking a month off to recover. He glared down at Strauss, raking his brain for words, but all he drew was a blank. His arm shook against the desk, his stomach turning. He ignored it and slowly stood up straight, his violent gaze never leaving her. He shook his head and turned on his heels. "I'll be in my office." He breathed, seething with unspoken anger.

He left Strauss' office, slamming the door behind him, causing everybody in the bullpen to jump. He felt their eyes on him, but he didn't stop as he stalked to his office. He shut the door behind him, pressing his back against it with a heavy sigh.

He cradled his arm against his chest, feeling the muscle spasm underneath his skin. He took a deep breath and shook his head as he slowly made his way to his desk. His stomach continued to churn. He rested his head on his desk, this situation feeling all to familiar.

The team had just been discussing a potential case that had come up, determining if they should look into it or not.

Rossi flinched as he heard the door slam shut. He looked up to see Aaron headed towards his office, his face morphed by anger. His brow furrowed, not only curious, but worried. He glanced at the team, noticing that they had the same looks on their faces.

He stood up and put his hand up to stop them. "I got it. Morgan, gather everyone in the conference room." He said as he tossed a file onto his desk. He sighed, heading up towards Strauss' office. He knocked on the door, entering as he heard the quiet 'come in.'

Rossi closed the door behind him. He crossed his arms and tilted his head. "What happened?" He said quietly as he walked over to her desk, taking a seat where Hotch had just resided.

Strauss shook her head and sighed, carding her fingers through her hair. She laced her fingers and rested her head on her hands. "I asked him if he'd every be okay to work again."

Rossi's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me, Erin? This job is practically Hotch's life. You-"

"Do not lecture me David." She put her hand up to stop him. "I just wanted the truth, and from the looks of it, I'm not sure he will be able to come back. Atleast not in the field."

Rossi's gaze fell. Sadly he had been thinking the same thing, but the thing they needed to do was encourage him, not put him down. He ran a hand through his hair as he thought.

Strauss shook her head. "Take him home, he doesn't need to be here."

Dave shook his head, lifting his challenging eyes to meet hers. "He has every right to be here, Erin. He beat that damn thing and I'm not bringing him back to that apartment where he sits on his ass and does nothing. He's better help here. We've got a case anyway-"

"He isn't cleared-"

"Maybe not for field work." Rossi stated, frustration clear in his words as he left the office without another word.

He made his way to Hotch's office, not bothering to knock. He pushed open the door, immediately looking towards Hotch's desk. He frowned when he didn't see him. "Hotch?"

"Right here…" Hotch sighed defeatedly, exhaustion hanging over his head like a storm cloud.

Dave raised an eyebrow and peeked over the desk. Aaron was sat against the wall, his legs out in front of him, the trashcan resting in his lap. "You okay?" He asked quietly, walking around the desk. He kneeled beside Hotch, pressing the back of his hand against his forehead, a sense of deja vu coming over him.

Hotch nodded slightly, placing the trash can on the floor. "Yeah I'm fine." He let Dave feel his forehead, even if he hated it.

Rossi sighed with relief when he found that Hotch didn't have a fever. He sat beside him and shook his head. They sat in silence for a few minutes while Hotch relaxed. "We've got a case if you're interested." He offered quietly, glancing over at him.

Hotch raised an eyebrow, "Strauss-"

Rossi rolled his eyes. "Since when have you cared what she thought?" He stood up and offered his hand to him. "Come on, everyones already in the conference room."

A small smile found it's way to Hotch's face as he realized what Dave had done. He slipped his hand into Rossi's and stood up. "Thanks Dave."

"Don't mention it kiddo."


	4. Chapter 4

Rossi led Hotch into the conference room. Hotch's eyes scanned over the table, realizing that they had left his seat completely untouched. He smiled internally, once again cold stone on the outside. He took his seat and nodded to JJ who pointed the clicker at the screen.

Hotch flipped open the file in front of him, pushing his frustrations to the back of his mind. Now there was a killer out there. He wasn't sure how much he would be able to do…He swallowed and shook his head ever so slightly, quickly scanning over the file.

"In Denton Texas, two single fathers were abducted over this week, one turned up three days ago, the other yesterday. Each of the victims were in their late-forties and had one teenage daughter, as well as two sons in their twenties. Both victims were found dead in their homes." JJ clicked, a picture the two victims appearing on screen. "The first victim was Scott Trim, he was forty-eight. He left behind his seventeen year old daughter, Kara, twenty year old son Christian, and Jon who was twenty-two." She shook her head, a shiver passing over her spine. The cases that dealt with kids, no matter the age, Henry would always pop into her mind no matter how many times she told herself that he was safe.

"Second victim is George Newcombe, forty-seven. His daughter Ceanna is sixteen, his sons Coby and Will are twins who just turned twenty-one a few days ago."

"Hell of a twenty-first birthday present." Morgan sighed, shaking his head sadly. He of all people knew what it was like to lose a father. He blinked and took a deep breathe.

"'Both victims were found with stab wounds to the abdomen in the shape of a happy face?'" Rossi quoted, frowning in disgust as he looked up from the file.

JJ sighed heavily and nodded, the crime scene photos now appearing on screen. She swallowed. "Each victim had ten stab wounds to form that, yes."

Hotch looked up from his file, unaware of his hand under the desk as it easily finger spelled the words that came out of JJ's mouth, something he used to do while he watched TV or was on the phone with Rossi. Another task he had been given that formed into an easy habit. "Where were their children when they were attacked?"

"Sons have been away at college. Daughters were at a friends house." JJ said easily, placing the remote back onto the table.

"With this big of a time gap, he would either not stick to a pattern, or he would be stalking his victims," Spencer spoke up, leaning forward, the file in his hands. "And considering that he waited until the daughter was gone and the father was home alone, I pick the latter. He picked these parents out for a specific reason." His eyes quickly traced over the information they had on the victims, hoping he could figure out the connection. His finger traced along the words as he read, his lips silently forming each word.

"So that's about two days in between each kill where he finds his next victim and watches him…but what if the daughter's plans don't line up with his? Will he storm into the house anyway no matter who's home?" Prentiss shook her head, the file open in front of her.

Hotch sighed and shook his head. Cases with kids always messed him up, especially since he hadn't seen his own son in almost two months, having to cancel on Haley many times before his illness. "I don't want to wait long enough to find out…wheels up in thirty." He said easily, the practiced words flowing off his tongue.

Rossi shook his head and put his hands up as everybody stood up and began to gather their thing. "Woah woah woah." Everyone froze.

Hotch looked at Rossi, his brow furrowed. "Dave?" He questioned quietly, having already packed up his file. He was ready to grab his go bag and get out of here. Even if he hadn't been cleared for field work, he would be able to help the team get a profile from the police station.

Rossi shook his head. He stood up and nodded to Morgan, who took the hint and herded everyone out with a simple. "Let's go."

Rossi had stood up and made his way to Hotch. He sat on the edge of the table, his arms crossed. "What do you think you're doing?" His voice was hard, but his eyes were soft with concern for his friend. There was no way that Hotch had gotten cleared in such a short time.

Hotch shook his head. "Dave, I may not be able to go out in the field, but I can atleast help the team build a profile and work from the station, Strauss-"

Dave put his hand up to stop him. He shook his head. "This has nothing to do with Strauss right now. Aaron…" He sighed, looking down at him. "You aren't even medically cleared to fly."

Hotch was about to defend himself, but the last time he had injured his ears, he wasn't even able to fly, having someone drive him all the way back. He swallowed, his confident gaze wavering as it fell to the table. "Dave…" He breathed, shaking his head. _'I just want to help…I can't sit around again and do nothing again.'_ He signed, unable to find his voice.

Dave's voice softened. He nodded. "I know kiddo…but we need you to be well first."

Hotch's fingers tapped anxiously on the table. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "I'll get Strauss to clear me." He mumbled and shrugged as he fixed his tie. He scooped up his folder and was about to leave when Dave grabbed onto his sleeve, holding him back.

"That is not what I meant!" He raised his voice, standing up now to face the taller man. "Aaron, you are not medically okay to travel right now. Plus none of us have the time to waste a day driving you down there, when we could be there in three hours." He shook his head. He didn't want to be angry, but Aaron needed to realize that he needed to take care of himself. If he kept putting his health on the bottom of the list of his things to do, there could be a chance that they may not have even had this problem to begin with. "Dammit Hotch, if you just took care of yourself for once. We can solve cases on our own, but we need you healthy, but with the way you're treating yourself now…" His voice trailed off as he shook his head, losing his words in his frustration.

Hotch's chest tightened. He flexed his hand, ignoring the tingling in his wrist. He didn't even blink as he shook himself from Rossi's grasp. "Why does everybody think that I can't do it? It's been a month Rossi, I'm as healthy as I'm ever going to get because nothing has helped." His fists clenched. He hadn't yelled in months. His throat ached. He shook his head. "Everybody always looks at me like I'm made of glass." His face was stone, eyes fire. "I'm the same as I was before." He paused and shook his head. "Oh wait, I guess not." He pointed at the device in his ear. He glared at Rossi, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as his heart raced, his blood boiling.

Rossi shook his head. "Nobody is saying that you can't." He sighed. He ran a hand through his hair. "Aaron…" He breathed, taking a step back to pack up his things. He couldn't deal with this right now. He rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. "We only do these things because we care…" His eyes still hadn't retuned to Hotch, his back to the man. "If you want to help, than stay here and I'll keep you updated so you can help build a profile." He gave in a little. This would be his own field work for awhile. He needed the break from only traveling to Aaron's apartment and the office.

"I don't need you treating me like I'm a child, Rossi. I can look after myself." Hotch shot back, his intense gaze shooting daggers towards the back of the mans head. The muscles in his arm tensed, causing his breath to catch in his throat. He clenched his fist, hoping to ease it, but his muscle only knotted more. A sharp pain traveled through his arm, radiating up his shoulder. He winced, thankful Dave's back was to him as he cradled his arm.

Dave scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Ever since Haley left you seem to have forgotten just how to feed yourself." He couldn't stop himself. The words just tumbled out of his rage driven mouth. As soon as they came out, he felt the guilt race through him. He shook his head. "Shit…Aaron I'm sorry-" He looked up as he heard the door close. Aaron was nowhere to be seen.


	5. Chapter 5

Rossi's guilt sat on his chest like a weight. He felt like he couldn't breath as he left the conference room, abandoning his things at the table as he searched for their recovering unit chief.

He figured that Aaron would have gone to Strauss' office and convince her to sign him off to travel, which would be impossible without a medical professional checking him out first, but if Aaron was pissed, and Dave was sure he was, than he could get his way. He sighed as he knocked on the door to Strauss' office.

He pushed open the door once she allowed entry. Erin Strauss sat at her desk, her glasses perched on the edge of her nose as she signed off on the few pieces of paperwork scattered across her desk. "Dave? How can I help you?"

Rossi looked around her kept office. Hotch definitely wasn't in here. He shook his head, setting his jaw as he thought of where he could have gone.

"Dave?" Strauss repeated. She pulled her glasses off and set them on her desk. Her brow furrowed as she watched Rossi focus back on her.

"Have you seen Hotch?" He asked easily, snapping out of his mind. He focused back on her, frowning as he watched her shake her head.

"Not since you lectured me." She fired back, clearly not over their argument before. She turned back in her chair to face her desk. She placed her glasses back on the end of her nose and picked up the pen. She scribbled her signature on another page. "You aren't planning on taking him on this case, are you?" Rossi's worry echoed in her voice. Aaron did look better, but he wasn't case ready. No matter how many times anybody told her that, without a medical professional clearing Hotch, there was no way she was letting him travel, or work any cases. The doctor's had told her that his muscle spasms usually got worse with stress, and thats all this job was.

However, she had been thinking of the possibility as leaving Morgan as the active unit chief for awhile and possibly bringing Hotch back early. He, of course, wouldn't be allowed in the field and would most likely stay at the office, but he would still have full privileges to help the team and get back onto his feet. She figured he could do that for about a year before she even considered placing him back as the unit chief to their best team.

Rossi bit his lip, his hands finding his pockets. He tapped his foot anxiously. He didn't need this again. All he wanted to do was find Aaron and apologize. He sighed. "I don't know, just call me if you see him." He turned and left without another word.

He headed down into the bullpen, figuring everyone was working on packing for their trip, but to his surprise Morgan was at his desk, finishing up a few emails while the others grabbed their gear. He had been so focused on finishing his work, that he hadn't noticed Rossi walk up. He placed his hand on top of Morgan's computer, drawing the man's gaze.

"You seen Hotch?" Dave asked.

Morgan raised an eyebrow. He slowly shook his head. He hadn't seen much of anything since he sat down."Not since he stormed out of the conference room. Rossi…is everything okay, you know, between the two of you."

Dave sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He avoided the question, knowing just how well Morgan could read him. He nodded, "Yeah we're fine." He lied easily, knowing clearly that Morgan saw through his bullshit. "I just need to find him." He breathed, shaking his head as he left Morgan to finish his work.

Morgan watched him go, worry, maybe even pity bubbling in his chest. He knew Hotch would be okay and couldn't have roamed far, but Rossi's body language told a whole new story. Morgan wasn't even sure if he was seeing it correctly. The only time he had seen Rossi's shoulders sagging with defeat was at the hospital when Hotch was in the ICU. He swallowed and shook his head. The thing he couldn't shake was the guilty look that continued to flash over Rossi's gaze, or maybe it was his foot that continued to tap against the floor. He shook his head and placed his fingers on the keyboard to finish his work.

Rossi went to every place he could think. Hotch's office, nope. The kitchenette, nope.

He stopped in front of Garcia's office. He took a step into her coop. He glanced at all of the screens, this much technology always seemed to unnerve him. He stepped up behind her chair. Garcia didn't even need to turn to figure out who had entered her lair.

"What can I do for you, Agent Rossi?" Her fingers flew across her keyboard as she tracked the GPS signal of a cellphone for another one of the BAU's teams.

Rossi quietly waited till she was finished, which only took about ten seconds before she texted the coordinates to the team. She turned around in her chair, her hands in her lap. "Whats up?"

Rossi shook his head. "Have you seen Hotch?"

Garcia's face lit up. "He's back?" Happiness exploded in her chest. Of course she loved her chocolate man leading the team, but she couldn't stand to see the people she cared about injured or sick. Her giddiness ended as she noticed the look on Rossi's face. "Whats wrong? He isn't back?"

Rossi shook his head. "Sorry Garcia, today he's just visiting." He sighed. "Has he not come by?"

"You know it doesn't take a profiler to figure out what's going on in that head of yours right now." She pointed out, fixing her bright glasses on her face. She shook her head. "So what's going on in that head of yours?"

Rossi didn't have time for this. "Maybe later Garcia." He offered her a tiny smile and shrugged. "I just really need to find him." ' _Before he does anything stupid'_ He thought, his gaze flickering before he focused back on her.

Garcia shook her head, realizing the rush that he was in. "I can track his phone too if you want." She pointed behind her towards her computer. She turned back around without waiting for a response from Rossi. As Rossi began to tell her no, and that he would have it handled. She already had it pulled up. "He's in the bathroom by the bullpen." She said easily as she turned back around.

How the hell could he not have thought of checking the damn bathroom? He sighed in frustration. "Thanks Garcia." He mumbled as he left.

Finally he found his way to the bathroom. He pushed open the door, relief washing over him as he saw the man in question standing near the corner, his back to Dave.

Slowly Dave took a step forward. He studied Aaron quickly.

Every single muscle in Aaron's body was tense as he cradled his arm to his chest. He heard someone enter the room. He assumed it was Rossi, but he couldn't bring himself to turn around. His wrist was killing him, a continuous ache radiating through his arm like wildfire. He squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his forehead against the wall. What Dave had said about Haley…He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry as he felt hot tears threaten to fall.

"Aaron…" Dave breathed. He shook his head. "Kiddo…" He didn't even know what to say. What he had said back there was uncalled for. He almost felt like a child for not thinking before he spoke. He sighed and took another step towards Aaron. "I'm sorry." He apologized.

Aaron's tense form suddenly caved. His shoulder's sagged, his knees felt weak. The grip on his arm tightened as another spasm ripped through him. He whimpered quietly, unable to stop It as it slipped out. He gritted his teeth. Damn he shouldn't have gotten so worked up. He took a deep breath, shaking his head slowly as he heard Rossi's concerned voice behind him. He squeezed his eyes tighter as he heard Dave advance towards him, the man's footsteps echoing off the tile floor. His breath caught in his throat, the only focus on his mind was the ache in his arm that had now dulled, beating in time with his heart. He swallowed, a tiny sense of relief washing over him, assuming that the worst had already past.

He squeezed his arm, knowing that it wouldn't change anything. He wanted to be able to to grab onto his arm and it would just stop all together. Stop the annoying spasms. Stop everything that was wrong with him. Stop everybody from treating him differently. His hearing could come back. He would be back to normal. Everything would be back to normal, back to the way things should be. Rossi wouldn't look after him like a little kid. Haley and Jack would still be living with him. Back when everything was good.

"Aaron?" He was now almost behind him. He looked the man over again, now able to see the invisible weight that held down Hotch's shoulders. He swallowed. "Hotch, are you okay?" He repeated quietly, reaching out and placing a light hand over Hotch's shoulder. His eyes widened as he felt the tiny, almost electric like currents that the spasm's in his arm sent up his shoulder. It was almost like a steady vibration against his hand as Hotch held his arm a little bit tighter.

Hotch's stomach turned, an all too familiar feeling by this point. He pressed even more weight into the wall as he opened his eyes, watching the room spin around him. His stomach flipped in protest as the shiver in his arm worsened. He quickly shut his eyes as he tried to block it out. He felt like he couldn't breath. His heart continued to race as a shiver passed over him.

"Aaron…What is it? What's wrong?" Dave's soothing voice echoed in his ears, but he couldn't bring himself to reply. He opened his eyes, only to sway on his feet as the world faded to black.


	6. Chapter 6

Rossi reacted quickly. He caught Aaron, fear spiking in his own chest as he lowered him to the ground. He checked for a pulse, relived when he found it strong. He shook his head and pulled out his phone. He remembered something that the doctor's had said about the possibility of passing out, it just hadn't happened to Hotch yet. He wasn't sure. Once he made sure Hotch was okay, he dialed in a familiar number.

"Rossi? Where are you?" Morgan answered his phone on the second ring. He looked at his watch as he shrugged his bag over his other shoulder, pressing the phone to his ear. He followed the others towards the jet, watching them turn back towards him with curious gazes.

Nobody had seen, nor heard the fight between Hotch and Rossi. Morgan and Garcia were the only two who knew about it, so everyone else just figured that Hotch was coming with no matter what anybody else said. As far as they were concerned, their leader was okay and finally back for good.

Rossi shook his head, his worried eyes scanning over Aaron's face, he brushed hair from Hotch's eyes. "Hotch passed out."

"What!?" Morgan froze in his steps, receiving the now worried glances. He shook his head and motioned for them to keep going. He handed them his bag to take onto the jet as well. He turned and headed back. "What happened?"

"I don't know. Can you just get up here?" Rossi's worry was clear. He kneeled beside Hotch, once again feeling for a pulse, still as strong as before. "Bathroom by the bullpen." He said easily.

"Yeah, okay Rossi, I'll be right there." Morgan broke into a jog after he ended the call. He headed back into the building and rushed towards the bathroom. He pushed open the door, freezing as he saw Hotch on the cold bathroom tile, Rossi kneeling beside him. Morgan took a breath and nodded, regaining himself. He crouched beside Rossi. "How is he?"

Rossi nodded, glancing over at him. "He's...he's okay." He sighed quietly, running a hand through his hair. "His arm was seizing and the next thing I know." He shook his head and motioned to the man in front of him. "Please, can you help me get him to the couch in my office?"

Morgan saw the concern in Rossi's eyes and nodded. He helped Rossi pick up Hotch and surprisingly carry him up to his office without anybody seeing them.

 _Hotch walked out of the elevator his bag over his shoulder. He passed the bullpen, glancing over his team. No one was in yet. This wasn't a huge surprise. The quiet usually let him get his work done. He headed up to his office and sighed at the extra paperwork that had piled on his desk when he had been at home._

 _He sat at his desk and drew a pen, signing and glancing over paperwork for an hour. He ran a hand through his hair, already exhausted from the work. He shook his head and stood up, leaving his office for some coffee._

 _He walked over to the small kitchenette in the bullpen. Morgan stood alone, fixing himself a cup as well._

" _Morning." Hotch said easily as he grabbed a mug._

 _Morgan shot Hotch a glare and rolled his eyes. He shook his head as he brought his steaming cup to his lips. "I think you came back a little too soon, man." He said easily, a small bite behind his words as he sipped his bitter drink._

 _Hotch raised an eyebrow, his eyes scanning Morgan up and down. Personally Hotch thought he waited plenty of time before he came back. He had recovered mentally, as well as mostly physically. The seizures in his arm was almost nonexistent now. He shook his head, clearly confused as he let Morgan continue._

 _Morgan scoffed at the look on his face. "Seriously Hotch? You've got to be stupid or something." He chuckled, shaking his head as he saw Hotch's face fall. "It may not have been permanent, but I was a better unit chief, especially since your deaf." He shot, easily tearing the man down. He shook his head and turned around, stalking away with his coffee in hand._

 _Hotch shivered. The confidence he had built over the past couple months had easily crumbled. He swallowed heavily and held his cup to his chest. He bit his lip, his eyes falling to the floor as Morgan's heavy words replayed in his head. He knew he wasn't good enough. Ever since he came back full time everyone had just gotten so bitter when he stepped into the room, even Rossi._

 _JJ walked up to the kitchenette. She glanced at him uneasily. Ever since he collapsed once in the field, she hasn't felt comfortable around him. She thought that he had come back too early and that he needed more time to heal, or maybe he shouldn't have come back at all. When Morgan was running the show, things were definitely much easier. They didn't have to wait for Hotch as he took his baby steps to recovery. She didn't say a word as she poured herself a cup of coffee before heading back to her desk._

 _Hotch was lost in his thoughts as Prentiss and Reid walked up to the small counter. They exchanged glances with each other. "Excuse us." Prentiss uttered quietly. Hotch didn't respond. If he wasn't focused, sometimes he missed quiet sounds, even with his hearing aids in. Prentiss rolled her eyes. "I guess they call them deaf and dumb for a reason." She muttered loudly, watching Hotch blink as he focused back on reality. Prentiss and Reid shared a laugh before returning to their desks._

 _Hotch had had enough, but he couldn't find the strength to fight them. His shoulder sagged in defeat as he headed back up to his office. He pushed open the door and shut it behind him. He debated locking it, knowing that no one would need him. Sometimes how Morgan would even start going over case files without even telling him they had one. He sat in his chair, placing his now cold mug of coffee on his desk. He tried to focus back on the paperwork on his desk, but as he tried to sign his name, his arm shook. He bit his lip and waited a few seconds, willing it to end. Slowly it settled down and he released the breath he had been holding. He shook his head, fixing his gaze on the papers as his door opened._

" _Hey Hotch, we've got a case. Morgan said he told you." Rossi shrugged as he pointed towards the conference room. "We're headed out in thirty."_

 _Hotch swallowed. He shook his head, his eyes never leaving his paperwork. "I'm not going." He said flatly, his face blank as he scribbled his name._

 _Rossi shook his head. "Really Hotch?_

 _What the hell. You come back and don't even do your damn job." He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "I told Strauss to just give the title to Morgan." He left without another word._

 _Hot tears had found their way to Hotch's eyes. His team...no, practically his family had completely lost faith in him. Not just as a profiler, but as a human being. He rested his head in his hands as he let the tears fall. The people he trusted most were shutting him out because of a stupid illness that plagued his life. This just could not be happening._

Rossi has told Morgan that the two of them would stay back on this case and maybe fly out, or even drive out later. They had gotten Hotch resting comfortably on his couch with a pillow and blanket that Dave kept laying around. He told Morgan to take the team and give him a call as soon as they got settled. Dave planned to be there for them whenever need be.

He had focused on a few things of paperwork while Aaron was out, but he made sure to get up and check on him every so often.

Rossi slowly lifted his head from his work as he heard quiet sobs coming from the couch. His heart twisted as he heard the fear within each sound. He slowly pushed himself up and caught sight of Hotch curled on his side. Hotch's head was buried in his hands, fingers tangled in his hair as his shoulders shook.

Dave quickly made his way and kneeled beside Hotch. "Aaron? Hey, kiddo. You okay?" He reached out and placed his hand on Aaron's shoulder.

Aaron shrunk away from his touch, the dream still fresh in his mind. His shivered, curling up tighter. He wanted to speak, but he couldn't find his voice as everyone's hurtful words echoed around his head. Now he wasn't even sure if he wanted to come back. What if nobody trusted him? He swallowed, his fears choking him. His family wouldn't be there when he needed them most.

 **(Hey everybody, hope you're enjoying Road to Recovery so far! Don't worry, we are nowhere near done with this, I just had a long flight so I've had plenty of time to think haha. How would y'all feel about a Rossi hurt and comfort kind of fic? I'm not exactly sure what yet, I just know that I really want to do one. If y'all have any suggestions, please feel free to message me or comment! I might just use them :) Again thanks for everything y'all! It means a lot!)**


	7. Chapter 7

Morgan got on the plane, sighing as he saw everybody's concerned eyes on him. He shook his head and told the pilot to take off before he settled into his seat beside Reid.

"Is Hotch okay?" The young agent asked as he shut his book, focusing his attention on the man beside him. They all figured it was something with Hotch, or Morgan wouldn't have run off so quick.

Everybody's eyes trained on the two. Morgan sighed, but nodded. "He's okay, he passed out, but apparently it's possible with his seizures." He soothed lightly as he shook his head. "He looked fine, Rossi just needed help moving him to the couch in his office."

JJ shook her head, "So we're just leaving them?"

Morgan nodded slightly. "We can't take off another case and give it to another team again. The director let us once because Hotch was in the hospital. Now is when we focus on this unsub who's running around Texas." He held up the file and nodded. "Hotch would want us to focus on this instead of him, and you know that."

Prentiss nodded and picked up a file. Now they were down two valuable men again. She sighed and flipped open the file so they could start gathering their thoughts about this unsub and his whereabouts.

Two hours passed and the team landed in Dallas, about an hour away from where the killings were. They had a van waiting for them and stepped in, Morgan allowing Prentiss to drive so he could call Rossi. He pulled his phone from his pocket as he stepped up into the Passenger's seat.

"Rossi." The older agent answered.

"Hey Rossi, how's Hotch?" Morgan asked easily as Prentiss started the car and began to the drive to Denton.

Rossi shook his head and glanced over his shoulder at the man curled on his couch. "I think he had a nightmare." He sighed quietly. When Hotch had woken up crying, that was his first clue, but as soon as Hotch pulled away from him, his heart sunk as he watched Hotch retreat back into himself again.

Morgan cursed quietly, ignoring the glances he felt bare into his back. "What about? Has he said anything?"

Rossi shook his head. "No, he just woke up crying and...he moves away from me like I hurt him somehow..." He voiced his fears quietly, again sending another uneasy glance over his shoulder. The argument he had with the fallen unit chief flashed in his mind. He swallowed.

Morgan ran a hand over his head and sighed. He shook his head. "Rossi, you know it was just a dream." He wished he could've stayed behind to help, but he knew that he was needed out in the field. "Just give him time, he'll be okay." He said quietly, hoping that it were true.

Rossi nodded. "Yeah...I know." He couldn't help but feel guilty, knowing that he had hurt Hotch and not told anyone about it. He shook his head. "When Hotch and I argued..."

"Rossi, it's fine. He knew you were just frustrated. You don't have to tell me what happened. He's probably already over it." Morgan cut him off, his own heart aching at the thought of what could've been said to make Rossi feel so guilty. He sighed.

Rossi bit his lip and ran a hand through his hair. He tapped his foot anxiously. He looked up as the elevator doors opened. "I gotta go, We'll be out there in a couple hours."

Morgan raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Rossi? But what about Hotch-" Rossi had already ended the call. "Dammit." He sighed as he dropped his phone in his lap.

"Everything okay?" Prentiss dared to ask as she glanced over at him before her eyes focused back on the road.

Morgan sighed and shook his head. "Hotch is okay...Rossi said he had a nightmare, but everything's okay. He just hung up on me." He said as he called Rossi back, the call going straight to voicemail. He cursed quietly and leaned his head back, silent as Prentiss continued the ride. Nobody pushed as Prentiss drove to Denton.

Forty-five minutes passed and the team had made it to the police station. They stepped into the building and was greeted by an older gentleman with a white cowboy hat and black beard. He held out his hand. "Officer Keith Medford." He said with a nod. Morgan shook his hand and introduced everybody. "Agent Morgan, these are Agents Prentiss and Jareau, and Doctor Reid. Where can we set up?"

Officer Medford led the team to a conference room that was already packed with files of their case, as well as a whiteboard and bulletin board. Morgan quietly thanked him as everybody set down their stuff.

"Can I get the biggest map you have?" Reid asked the officer, watching him nod, not asking any questions as he left the room.

Morgan didn't even have to say anything as everyone got to work, already knowing their tasks at hand.

JJ started taking the pictures from the file and sticking them to the board, writing the names of the victims underneath. She also wrote the names of their families and where they were found.

Reid took the map that Medford handed him. He taped it up against he wall and pulled a marker from his bag, pinpointing where each body was found.

Prentiss set her bag on a chair and looked over at Morgan, "you ready?" She asked quietly, watching him nod. They gathered their things and headed to the first victims home. Medford told them that the kids would be waiting outside the house for them.

The ride to the Trim household was silent, Morgan behind the wheel this time. It was only about ten minutes before he pulled up to the house. He narrowed his eyes as he adjusted his sunglasses on his nose. He hated when crime scenes occurred in crowded neighborhoods. The swarming police officers, as well as tape, always attracted a huge crowd and reporters. He sighed heavily and stepped out of the car, ducking his head as he pushed his way to the house. An officer lifted up the tape for the two of them, the three children waiting in the front yard.

Kara was just about as tall as Prentiss. She was blonde and thin, but muscular at the same time. Her hair was lighter than any of her siblings, he assumed she played some sort of outside sport. Morgan's eyes traced over her, easily profiling her. She had been crying, most likely having a strong connection with her dad since she was the only one living at home at the time. She was an athlete, definitely in shape. Her blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she bit the nail of her thumb, heavily leaning into her brothers side.

Jon wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, standing at the same height as her. His short hair was dirty blonde. He was also built like an athlete, but obviously wasn't in shape. Morgan figured he focused more on his studies than athletics. Sadness was sketched into his face

Last was Christian. He was as tall as Morgan, maybe an inch more. He was blonde like his sister, glasses covering his blue eyes. He was tall and thin, maybe putting on a few pounds, but he still looked in decent shape. He raised an eyebrow and saw how he stood with confidence despite his fathers passing. He assumed it was from some sort of military, maybe even police or firefighter.

He held out his hand and introduced himself while Prentiss went in to look at the remains of the crime scene. "I'm Agent Morgan, I'm very sorry for your loss." He sighed quietly, the death of his own father playing in his head. His breath hitched, but he quickly regained himself knowing that he was the best man for the job.

Prentiss stepped into the house. She walked through the foyer, a softball bag visible in the corner. That explained the daughter. She nodded and continued on, looking down at the many pairs of shoes. Dirty tennis shoes mainly. She walked into the living room, her breath catching in her throat as she saw the blood that stained the white carpet. She shook her head and imagined the scene. There weren't any signs of a struggle, which left her a little confused. The parents must have known this unsub, or they held a gun to his head. She crossed her arms and thought through it, glancing up as Morgan stepped into her field of vision.

"The kids don't know anything." He shook his head. "Kara didn't note any cars visiting all the time. The sons don't know anything since they've been away." He sighed and crossed his arms. "Find anything?"

Prentiss shook her head. "No signs of a struggle. Really there's not much going on here. The only thing we have is how he kills his victims." She sighed. "Newcombe house?" She offered quietly.

Morgan nodded and pulled the keys from his pocket and left after saying a quick goodbye to the kids. He had made sure to tell them that if they ever needed anything that he was there. He had even given them his card.

The Newcombe house had gotten them nowhere either. No signs of a struggle, nothing to go off of. Morgan stepped into the police station with a sigh as he headed back to the conference room. JJ and Reid had made little progress in possible connections while they were gone. Lunch was waiting for them on the table, the other two focusing on their current task.

Morgan's stomach twisted. He wasn't hungry and probably wouldn't be until they found this son of a bitch who was doing this to kids. He looked at the map Spencer had marked on. He leaned back against the table, his eyes lighting up as he saw a familiar face enter the room. His face fell.

"Where's Hotch?"


	8. Chapter 8

Rossi bit his lip, his heart ached as he slowly took a step away from Aaron. "Aaron?" He tried again, watching the man shake his head, hands covering his eyes, tangled in his hair. "Please kiddo, I only want to help." He pushed lightly.

Aaron took a breath. The tears had stopped, but the effort left him exhausted, his body shaking as he lay curled on the couch, his back to Rossi. He shook his head slightly, nestling closer to the couch. He just needed time for the dream to go away...he wanted to tell Dave, but he couldn't bring himself to look at him. He swallowed, taking deep, shaky breaths.

Dave slowly stood up with a sigh. He knew when Aaron needed his time, and now was one of those moments. He nodded slightly, no matter how bad he wanted to reach out and hold the man until he felt better. He sat back behind his desk and tried to focus his mind on the papers in front of him. Every five minutes he sneaked a glance to see if anything had changed.

Aaron heard Dave move. He relaxed slightly, almost daring to look over his shoulder a few times. He opened his eyes, but didn't turn to see if Rossi was still there. He honestly wasn't even sure where he was. His brain was scattered. His stomach flipped, causing him to bury his head even further. His swallowed as another shiver passed over his body. He wrapped his arms tightly around himself. He tried to reassure himself and say that Dave wasn't a threat, that nobody on his team would be like that, but he couldn't. His heart raced in his chest.

An hour passed and Aaron hadn't moved or made a sound. Worry rose in Dave's chest as he stood up. "Aaron?" He asked quietly as he walked over. He looked like he had relaxed a little, but his shoulders were still tense.

Aaron swallowed, finally finding his voice. He had time to calm himself down. "H...Haley." He breathed, not turning to face Rossi. "Please...I...I just want Haley."

Dave pulled out his phone without a second thought, "Okay kiddo, okay, I'll call her." He stood up and and left his office.

Hotch hadn't seen Haley in about two months now. He hadn't called her much either. Since he's been out of the hospital he's called her twice, maybe three times. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Haley or Jack, he missed them more than he could explain, he just couldn't bring himself to it.

Dave punched in the number and put the phone to his ear, glancing over his shoulder to check on Hotch before his gaze fell to his feet. "Hey Haley." He said quietly as he heard her answer.

"Dave?" His concern echoed in her voice.

Now Dave on the other hand, he called Haley atleast once, sometimes twice a week to keep her updated on Hotch and how he was doing. He knew Aaron wouldn't, so he made it his responsibility. He knew that Haley wanted to hear from Hotch, but he also knew that Hotch would always just say that he was fine and ignore all her questions.

"Is he okay?" Haley's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

Dave swallowed and sighed lightly. "He's had a bit of a panic attack." He shook his head, leaning against the railing. "He's asking for you."

Rummaging could be heard on the other line. Haley pulled the phone from her ear and called for her son, the little boy running into the room. "Grab you're things, I'm going to take you to Aunt Jessica's."

The little boy tilted his head, knowing that his mom needed to go somewhere. "Where are you going?" He asked curiously.

Haley bit her lip and shook her head, kneeling down so she was even with the boy. "I'm going to pick up Daddy."

Jack's face lit up at the mention of his father. He ran off to grab his backpack that he always kept packed for when he needed to go somewhere. Just like his Dad had said. Always have a bag ready Incase something came up. He grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder.

"Where is he?" Haley spoke into the phone, watching her son go. She couldn't help but smile at how excited her son was. She was happy to get to see Aaron as well, just not in these circumstances.

"He's in my office..I would bring him by, but..." Dave shook his head and sighed. "He just wants you."

Haley nodded. "I'll be there soon, I just need to drop Jack off first."

Dave nodded. "I'll see you soon." He ended the call and took a deep breath. He slipped his phone back into his pocket. He leaned against the railing, glancing over as Strauss stood beside him.

"Everything okay?" She asked quietly. She looked at him before glancing at Hotch back in his office. "Is he okay?"

Dave sighed, knowing that he shouldn't have brought Hotch in. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Haley's coming to pick him up. Then I'll go meet the team in the field."

The director had understood Dave's situation at first and had given him a month off of field work to focus on Hotch and taking care of his friend, but that month was over and Dave needed to get back in the field. These cases took longer and not as many were finished with less agents on the scene.

Strauss sighed and glanced over her shoulder again. "I told you he shouldn't have come in."

Dave tensed. He shook his head. "You don't think I know that, Erin?" He shot back, resting his head in his hands. He sighed, the pair standing in silence.

Dave heard the rustling behind him and glanced up, seeing Hotch facing his desk.

Hotch had gained the courage to turn and discover his surroundings. He swallowed as he noticed the familiar walls of Rossi's office. He couldn't help as those words echoed around his head.

" _I told Strauss to just give the title to Morgan."_

He swallowed and shoved it to the back of his mind. Haley, where was Haley. He slowly pushed himself, standing on shaky feet.

Dave stepped into his office, leaving Strauss behind. "Hey kiddo." He murmured. Aaron made no move to look at him. "Haley's on her way." He assured quietly, watching Aaron nod slightly before he turned back to face the couch. He shut his eyes as a shiver passed over his body.

Dave sighed, wanting to keep talking to him, but his phone rang instead. He shook his head and pulled out his phone. "Rossi." He answered as he stepped out of his office, Strauss nowhere to be seen.

He talked to Morgan and explained the situation. He looked up as the elevator chimed and Haley walked out. "I gotta go, we'll be out there in a couple hours." He said as he hung up, ignoring Morgan's protests. He caught Haley's eye and motioned her up.

Haley walked up the stairs, offering Rossi a small smile. Nerves floated in her chest. She looked up at Dave. "You ready?" He asked quietly, offering her his hand. She nodded slightly and took his hand as she followed him into the office.

Aaron was sitting up now, his head in his hands as he tried to sort through what was right and what was wrong.

Haley's heart caught in her throat at the sight of Aaron. Tears welled in her eyes as she dropped her purse, slowly bringing herself to walk over to him. She swallowed, tears falling down her face as she kneeled in front of him. Even if they were divorced, it wasn't a loss of love that caused them to break up. It was how committed Aaron was to his job, it took her awhile, but she finally understood it.

She rested her hand on his knee, causing him to look up, fear in his eyes. "Hey honey." She breathed as he leaned forward and reached out for her. He wrapped his arms around her, his head nestled into her shoulder as tears soaked her shirt.

She sat on the couch and held him, resting her head on his. She calmly stroked his back, wiping her own tears away with her shoulder. She sniffled and shook her head. "I missed you too." She said quietly, her voice shaking.

She had missed him, she always did, but she didn't expect to find a man so broken and beaten down. This was not the Aaron Hotchner that she had left. She wished she could've been there for him when he needed her most. She pulled him closer, glancing up and noticing that Rossi had gone.

Dave let them have their space. Instead he grabbed his belongings and was getting ready to leave to join the team in Texas. It killed him to leave, especially with Aaron like this, but he knew that Haley would take good care of him. He sighed quietly and poked his head into his office. He shook his head and said a quick goodbye to Haley, knowing that she would call if anything happened. He glanced at Aaron, the defeated man's back once again pointed in his direction.

He left and headed to Strauss' office next. He knocked on the door and pushed it open. "Haley's with him now, I'm going to head out." He said easily and turned around too quick for Strauss to voice her apology.

Dave caught a plane and was out there in less than three hours. He grabbed a taxi to the station. He saw their SUV parked in front and nodded to himself as he stepped into the station. He showed his badge, an officer pointing him in the direction of the conference room.

He nodded his thanks and went down the hall. He stepped into the door, watching Morgan's face fall as he searched for the missing unit chief. "Where's Hotch?"


	9. Chapter 9

**(Wow y'all I am so sorry for the long wait. I just got back from California sooo things have been a little hectic. Not gonna lie to y'all, this update is a little...idk how I'm feeling about it. Lmk what y'all think about it, anyway enjoy this update :) love y'all)**

Haley sat beside Hotch on the couch. Her hands around him. She soothed him quietly, her voice soft as she rubbed his back. "I'm here." She continued to breath, her strokes matching her voice. "I'm here." She repeated.

She had not expected Aaron to look this...disheveled and destroyed. It broke her heart seeing him this way. How he had retreated into himself.

Of course she was always kept in the loop when Hotch was in the hospital, and when he got out, but he never let her seem him. And now she could see what he was hiding.

Slowly Hotch lifted his head, his eyes red with old tears. He drew in a shaky breath and slowly pulled away from her. She leaned in and placed a light kiss on his forehead, pulling away from him as well. "Hey." She murmured, tracing her hands down his arms.

Hotch swallowed. He hadn't seen Haley...he shook his head. He couldn't even explain how much he had missed her since she wanted a divorce. His hand slowly made its way to her cheek. "H..hi." He breathed, his voice rough with tears.

Haley saw the look in his eyes and easily wrapped her arms around him again. Aaron's head found its way to her shoulder again, nestling into her neck as she held him. Her hand found the back of his neck, her fingers lightly scratching against his hair. "You're okay." She said quietly.

Several minutes passed. By now Dave had gone, leaving them alone in his office. He had said his goodbyes and set off to meet the team in the field. Hotch was staying with her until they came back.

She finally pulled away and brushed the hair from his eyes. "Let's get you home, okay?" She offered quietly, watching his nod.

She stood up and pulled him with her. She wrapped her arm around his waist and led him out of the room. They walked down the stairs and past the empty bullpen.

Hotch looked up and saw the empty seats. He shook his head, "No, wait. I'm supposed to meet the team in the field." He tried to break from her grasp with a pretty weak attempt.

Haley's grip tightened. She shook her head and pulled him along. "Aaron, you aren't well. I know that's not what you want to hear, but maybe in a couple days you can go out and meet them." She offered.

Hotch shook his head. "No, Haley, I'm supposed to meet them today...they don't think I'm good enough, Dave was mad, I have to go." He rambled quickly.

Haley was confused. She shook her head and stopped him, placing a hand on his chest. She looked up at him and shook her head. "Dave isn't mad at you. Why would you think that?"

His dream flashed in his head, causing him to shiver. He shook his head. "He told me...I'm back I have to go. If not they're going to give my job away."

Haley's brow furrowed. "Aaron...Aaron! Stop! Nobody is giving your job away." Her grip on him tightened. His distant eyes slowly darkened as he regained himself. She held his arm and looked up at him, lightly shaking the man. "It's okay. Dave went to go join them in Texas. You're okay Aaron. Nobody said that."

Hotch blinked. He sighed quietly and nodded. His tense muscles relaxed as he leaned into Haley's touch, something he had missed. All he wanted was for her to hold him and put together his broken pieces, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to stay with her.

"Come on Aaron." Her quiet voice broke him from his thoughts as she led him to the elevator. The ride was silent, as was the walk to the car. She slowly dropped her hands from him and opened his side door before walking around the car and getting in her side.

She buckled herself in and turned to face him. Her hand fell over his. "You okay?" She asked, concern filling her voice.

Aaron swallowed. He nodded, the thought that it was only a dream melted to the back of his head. "Yeah." He cleated his throat and buckled himself in. "I just..." He shook his head. "I'm really happy to see you." He mumbled, hoping to move past his previous episode without confronting it.

Haley's grip on his hand tightened. She offered him a small smile. "Me too." She murmured as she stuck the key into the ignition. Her thumb traced across his knuckles. "How about we get settled at home and I'll have Jessica bring Jack over in a couple hours?"

For the first time in months Hotch actually smiled a genuine, happy smile, excitement and joy in his chest. He nodded slightly and squeezed her hand. He leaned his head back and got comfortable in the seat, ignoring his arm with practiced ease.

Haley's eyes slowly landed on his arm, worry lighting up in her chest. Hotch followed her eyes and took his hand from her's to cover his arm. "I'm okay." He nodded, his face falling as he looked down at his shoes. "It...it just does that." He sunk into his seat, cradling his elbow.

Haley's heart clenched as she watched him tense up. She wanted to say that it was okay and that she was here for him, she just didn't trust her voice right now. She put her hands on the wheel and tried to focus her mind on driving instead.

The ride home was silent. Halfway there Hotch's hand found hers once again as she drove. She glanced over at him, knowing just what was going on it that head of his. She sighed quietly and squeezed his hand. Her heart ached for him, but there wasn't anything she could do, except let him know that she was always here for him.

She pulled into the driveway and looked over at him. "You okay?" She asked quietly as she shut the car off.

Hotch bit his lip, the question that had been in his mind the past month stirring in his head. "W..what if Jack..." He shook his head. He couldn't continue the thought. Instead he nodded and took a deep breath. "Yeah...I'm okay." He pushed open the car door and stepped out, ignoring her sympathetic look.

Haley sighed and got out of the car. She cast another glance in his direction before pushing open the front door.

Their house hadn't changed a bit since Hotch still lived here. He swallowed, wishing that things could've worked out different between the two. He followed Haley to the living room. She motioned to the couch. "How about I make us some coffee?"

Hotch nodded as he took a seat on the couch. He sighed quietly, his mind swirling with old memories.

Haley pulled out her phone as she stepped into the kitchen. She called Rossi, knowing that she was supposed to keep him in the loop with everything. He answered after the first ring.

"How's it going over there?" He answered easily, having excused himself from the team.

Haley glanced into the living room and nodded. "We just made it home. We left the office and..he said that you were mad at him-"

"What? Why would I be mad?" Dave interrupted, knowing that he shouldn't have gone.

Haley shook her head. "I don't know...he said everybody told him he wasn't good enough." She sighed as she rummaged through the kitchen to make them some coffee. "I don't know...but you said he had a dream right? That could've been it." She ran a hand through her hair as she grabbed two mugs.

Dave couldn't find words. He shook his head and swallowed. "I just...can you put him on?"

Haley bit her lip. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Dave, he's finally calm. He's okay."

"Please?"

She sighed and nodded. "Okay..." she walked back into the kitchen and handed him her phone. "It's Dave." She murmured, watching his shoulders tense. "Please, Aaron, just hear him out." She kneeled beside him and brushed his hair from his eyes, offering him a small smile. She couldn't help it as she leaned forward and brushed a light kiss against his lips before she placed the phone in his hand. A light blush decorated her cheeks as she retreated back in to the kitchen.

Hotch watched her go, wishing she was beside him. He sighed quietly, surprised at the soft kiss, pressing the phone against his ear. He rubbed his eyes. "Dave?" He asked quietly.

"Hey...Hey kiddo. You okay? I never said any of those things. You know I wouldn't right?" His voice was quiet, almost soothing.

Hotch drew in a breath and shook his head. "I know..." he breathed. Of course he knew that, but he couldn't help but feel discouraged. He sighed. "I know..." he repeated.

"We're here for you kiddo, all the way. You need anything, we all have your back, okay?"

Hotch nodded. "Okay..."

Dave sighed quietly. "I've got to get back. Everything will be okay kiddo, alright? I love you." He said easily.

"Love you too..." Hotch mumbled. He wanted to ask Dave when he could come out and work with the team again, but he knew he wouldn't be allowed to come out. He ended the call with a sigh and looked up as Haley walked into the room with two mugs. She sat beside him, placing the mugs on the table. She took her phone as he handed it to her. "You okay?" She asked again.

Hotch sighed quietly, but nodded as he accepted the mug. "Yeah...thank you."

He took a sip and turned to face her. They sat in silence. He wanted to say so many things and ask about her and how her life has been, but he couldn't.

The doorbell rang.

Haley sighed quietly and stood up, setting her coffee on the table. "I'll get it." She said easily as she walked to the door. She pulled open the door and smiled. "Thank you." She told her sister, who nodded.

The door shut. Hotch lifted his head, having set his coffee on the table. A smile made its way to his face as he saw his son.

"Daddy!" The little boy cheered as he ran into the living room with open arms. Hotch kneeled on the floor and wrapped his arms around the little boy.

"Hey buddy." He grinned as the child buried his head into his shoulder.

"I missed you." Jack's voice distorted by his shoulder. Hotch's grip tightened on him.

"I missed you too, Jack."


	10. Chapter 10

Rossi sighed and sat down at the table. He looked over the worried faces and shook his head. "Haley's with him, he's okay." He assured quietly as he sat his bag next to his seat.

Morgan didn't object. He nodded as he passed Rossi the file. "Still only two victims, but the unsub is most likely stalking another right now. There were no signs of struggle, but we don't think that either victim knew their attacker."

Rossi nodded and pushed open the file, glancing over the pictures once again. "Do we know anything about him?" He said as he looked up to Morgan, the others having gotten back to work.

Morgan shook his head. "All we've got right now is overkill." He looked at the pictures they had pinned to the board. He sat back on the table and crossed his arms.

Reid was outlining many things on the map, high schools, colleges, where the victims had lived. He asked JJ to go with him to visit the Trim household and see if he could find anywhere a car could sit without being seen. JJ agreed and grabbed the keys. "Morgan, Spence and I are headed back to the Trim place."

Morgan looked up and nodded, "Call if you find anything." He said as he focused back on the victims. He sighed and pulled out his phone, answering on the first ring. "Hey baby girl." He answered easily. "Your on speaker." He said as he turned her on speaker, hoping she behaved.

Garcia rolled her eyes at being put on speaker. She always enjoyed flirting with him and she knew he liked it to, but sometimes he was a buzzkill. She immediately perked up and starting spouting information she had pulled up. "Well, my favorite group of people, there are many, many, single fathers in Denton, Texas, but only three have that same family. Youngest daughter, two older boys."

Morgan's brow furrowed. If they went out now, there was a possibility they could find the unsub outside the house. "Address'?"

"Already send them to you, my love. Dad's are Anthony Haynes, lived in Texas all his life, moved from Dallas about four years ago, next is Toni Thompson, lived in the same house for twenty years."

Morgan nodded, about to grab the keys when he realized that JJ took them and they didn't have time to call for another van. He sighed and asked Prentiss to ask for a squad car. He had been planning Hotch and Rossi to pick up another one when they flew in. "Alright thanks baby girl." He was about to end the call when Rossi spoke up.

"Hang on Garcia, can you see if you can find out what happened to their wives?"

Garcia nodded, "Of course! These fingers are ready for digging. Be safe my lovelies."

The call ended.

Prentiss walked in and held up some keys, "Lets go." She tossed the keys to Morgan and led the way out the door to another one of their SUV's.

Rossi rolled his eyes. "Didn't think I'd leave you in the dark, did I?" He chuckled as he slipped into the front.

Reid and JJ slowly pulled up to the Trim household. Reid stepped out and looked around. There wasn't much around here. Maybe a few tiny trees dotted along the sidewalk, but definitely nowhere to hide your car without being noticed. Reid crossed his arms as JJ left to go talk to the neighbors and see if there was a possibility if they saw anything.

Reid thought it all out in his head. The only place a car could be without causing attention would be to drive by. He shook his head, the curls on his head lightly bouncing. That wouldn't make any sense either unless he drove by many times an hour just to see if it was clear to strike. He glanced up from his feet as he watched a man walk his dog down the sidewalk.

The man stopped and stared at the officers standing in the driveway. His Greyhound took a seat at his feet. He shook his head as he lightly yanked up on the leash as he continued to walk, his dog following behind.

Reid watched him go, his brow furrowed in thought. That was it… He waited for JJ to get back from the neighbor's house. She easily saw that he had figured something out. "What's up?" She asked as she stepped up into the van.

"The unsub walked by. Wether he was on a jog, or walking his dog-"

"Spence, if he walked by, he would have to show up more times than if he drove." JJ cut in, trying to understand where he was coming from.

"Maybe, but not if there's more than one unsub."

JJ rolled the idea in her mind. She shook her head and started the car. "It's possible. Call Morgan, see what they think." She nodded as she pulled away from the curb. Morgan had sent her the address they needed to check out next.

Morgan pulled up to the house of Anthony Haynes. He looked around. There weren't any obvious cars on the street, nobody even driving by. This neighborhood seemed like a bit of a ghost town. He glanced at the clock.

'7:39'

He shook his head and stepped out, the other two doing the same. They walked up to the house and knocked on the door.

A tall, Guatemalan man opened the door. He looked at them, confusion clear on his face.

"Anthony Haynes?" The man nodded. "Derek Morgan, these are Agents Rossi and Prentiss, we're with the FBI." They all held up their badges. "We just want to ask you a few questions."

Morgan and Rossi settled down with Anthony at the table while Prentiss got a quick look around the house.

"What's this about?" Anthony shook his head, his arms crossed over his chest. He had heard about the murders on the television, but he had never met either of those dads. He looked up from the table.

"Sir, we just need to know a few things." Morgan nodded.

The small interrogation began. Anthony had never seen an unknown car parked, or drive by there house. The neighborhood was usually quiet, much like it is now. All of the families are either elderly, or the kids have grown up and moved on.

They glanced up in confusion at the sound of the front door opening. "Sir, is your daughter home?" Rossi asked quickly, his hand falling to his gun.

Anthony shook his head. "She's supposed to be at a friends house." He pushed himself up, worry clear in his face.

Morgan put his hand up to stop him and shook his head as he reached for his gun. He followed Rossi's lead, and slowly stepped out of the kitchen. "Freeze! FBI!" Morgan growled, his gun raised.

In the open door, a tall, muscular man stood. He was covered with black, head to toe. He cursed loudly, dropping the knife he held in his gloved hand and turned around, sprinting the way he had come.

Morgan and Rossi reacted quickly and followed, their guns in their hands. Adrenaline pushed through their veins, causing them to run faster.

The man moved like a shadow, quick and expertly. He jumped up onto a fence and scaled it, no problem, having practiced many times before. Morgan jumped on the other side, while Rossi had turned around, finding another way, hoping he could cut him off.

Morgan was right on his tail. "Hey!" He yelled as the man turned a corner. He followed, immediately slamming his heels into the ground to avoid his collision with Rossi. "Rossi? What the hell?"

Dave shook his head as they stood in an empty alley, having no clue where there suspect had gone.


	11. Chapter 11

**(I figured y'all could use a bit of the Team and Hotch in a chapter since I took awhile. Love y'all!)**

Morgan shook his head in disbelief. He had been right on his trail, this was next to impossible.

Rossi's face echoed his as they both looked around the empty alley. There was no sign of…well anything.

Rossi latched his gun with a sigh. He crossed his arms and shook his head. He went silent as his eyes continued to scan the area. There hadn't been a getaway car…there wasn't a manhole cover. He sighed heavily and glanced back over at Morgan.

Morgan had begun investigating as well, but had also fallen short. There wasn't anything here. He put his gun away and returned Rossi's gaze. He blinked, the chase replaying in his head. When they had begun their pursuit…"Dammit!"His hand slid for his hip again. He pulled his gun as he ran without explaining to Dave, the older agent easily following his lead.

He remembered the white truck that had nearly slid to a stop in front of the Haynes household as soon as they had turned the corner. How could he not have seen this coming? Two unsubs…

He cursed again, his feet slamming against the concrete as he ran, Rossi not far behind.

Morgan slowed down as they reached Anthony's house. It was different now. No white truck, but instead a small black Honda Civic sat in the driveway, the motor still running.

He glanced over his shoulder as Dave came up beside him. Morgan led the way and looked at the car. He quickly peeked through the windows, a young girl sitting in the driver's seat, her phone in hand. Music could be heard through the car doors.

It took her a few seconds before she noticed him outside her car. She grabbed her backpack and threw it over her shoulder as she turned her car off. She stepped out, throwing her hair over her shoulder. "Um…yes?" She asked, tilting her head as she shut the door.

Morgan's gaze fell on the front door. He glanced at Rossi, who nodded and headed to check the house. "Ma'am I'm Derek Morgan, we work for the FBI." He assumed by the looks of her, she was Haynes daughter. He showed her his badge.

"Are you here about those murders? It's all over the TV-" She fell silent when she realized he wasn't paying attention.

Rossi had come back out of the house, his eyes glazed. He looked at Morgan and shook his head.

When Dave had first stepped into the house, the smell of blood had hit him so hard it almost knocked him over. He shook his head in disbelief as he slowly made his way to the living room, his gun drawn.

The mangled body of Anthony Haynes lay in the middle of the floor, the familiar smiley face etched into him. Blood pooled around his still form. However, this scene was a bit different. There were several pieces of overturned, as well as broken furniture. Shattered glass piled from a broken table.

Rossi covered his mouth and shook his head. The face was beaten almost beyond recognition. What the hell could make this unsub so angry? Well now it was two to be exact. He turned on his heels and put away his gun. The unsubs were long gone by now. He pulled out his phone and stepped out of the house.

Dave had called the others to the house. Reid and JJ would get agents outside the Thompson house and then swing by for Prentiss before making there way to the scene.

He had called the police as well, Officer Medford and his team were already at work inside.

Dave slipped his phone back into his pocket, his eyes finding Morgan. Once the news had been broken to Haynes' daughter, Abby, she hadn't let go of Derek. The two had ended up sitting against her car, her head buried into his shoulder as she cried for the loss of her father.

The rest of the team had shown up, the black SUV pulling up on the street. They all stepped out and walked up the driveway, Reid's phone in his hand. "Go ahead, Garcia." He spoke as he put it on speaker.

"Alright everyone, listen up cause I've got a doozy for ya."

* * *

Jack sat in between his parents, a wide smile on his face as his attention was focused on his father. "Why were you gone so long?" He asked quietly, looking up from the stuffed bear he held.

Of course Hotch had told Haley to talk to Jack, but this was the first time since his illness that he actually was able to talk to his son. He smiled down at the boy and shook his head, brushing some of the bangs from Jack's face. "I was sick." He sighed quietly and turned his body to face Jack.

"But you're better now?"

Hotch's smile wavered for a second. Of course he was better physically…he just wasn't sure mentally. He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm okay." He said quietly.

Jack's excited eyes glanced over to his father. He wrapped his little arm's around Hotch's arm, a bright smile on his face. "I'm glad you're okay, daddy. I missed you." He repeated for the third time that night.

That always brought a smile to Hotch's face. He chuckled quietly and nodded as he pulled his hand from Jack's grasp and instead wrapped his arm around the two people he loved the most. "Me too, buddy." He murmured as he kissed the top of Jack's head.

"Why don't you go and get ready for bed, Jack. Your dad and I will be up there soon to tuck you in." Haley spoke quietly, smiling down at her son.

Jack nodded, but again turned to his dad. "Will you read me a story?"

Hotch nodded, "Of course, but first you have to get ready for bed." He watched as the kid nodded excitedly and sprang off the couch as he headed to change his clothes.

Once their child was gone, the two looked at each other. Haley's hand found his cheek as she looked him over a couple times. "You're already looking better." She said quietly as she smiled at him.

Hotch offered her a small smile. He did feel better. Maybe it was just because he was out of that god awful apartment. But altogether he just felt…better. Sure his mind still wasn't what it was, and probably won't be for awhile, but he was with his family again…even if Haley and him were divorced.

His hand fell over hers. "Thank you." He breathed, knowing that he had said it many times tonight.

Haley leaned forward and placed a light kiss on his lips. She slowly pulled away and nodded, her lips lingering by his. "Of course."

They slowly pulled away from each other, their hands falling back to their sides. The running of water upstairs was a sign that Jack was almost ready for his story.

Hotch checked the clock and pulled out his phone, debating if he should call Rossi or not. He knew it was only a dream before, but it still hung in his mind. He glanced up as he felt her hand on his knee.

"They love you, Aaron." _'Almost as much as I do…'_ She thought with a shake of her head. "You know that they'll always have your back. Give them a call."

Near the end of their marriage, Hotch had never heard Haley talk like this. She would always get angry when his job was ever brought up in the house, but of course he was an understanding husband and would always try to keep it separated. Church and State everybody always said, but it wasn't that easy. He would get called out in the middle of the night and she would be upset.

He swallowed, but nodded. "You're right." He sighed out and typed in Rossi's number. He was about to call the number when Jack stepped into the room with a book clutched to his chest.

Hotch caught sight of his son and smiled slightly. He turned off his phone and put it back in his pocket. "After I read Jack a bedtime story." He said quietly as he stood up and followed the boy to bed.


	12. Chapter 12

**(Season is over y'all. Now you have me the rest of the summer, it may only be a week and like two days, but I'll take it. I'll get back to writing a chapter every two-three days! Love y'all!)**

The team was huddled around Reid's phone as Garcia began to rattle off her information.

"Each wife left the husband because they couldn't keep it in their pants." She continued, rolling her eyes on the other side. "It's honestly terrible, but the wives didn't even file anything for their children and just flat out left. They left their whole life behind and started from scratch. Trim's wife, Jill, moved out of Texas and back to her home state of Illinois, while Newcombe's wife, Gloria, headed to California, again where she was born. I'm working on Haynes right now."

Rossi sighed, but nodded. "Alright, thanks Garcia." Reid turned off his phone and slipped it back into his pocket.

"Do you think this unsub could be killing because he lost his own wife this way? Or maybe because he hated the way the husbands treated their wives?" Reid spouted out quickly.

Rossi opened his mouth, falling short as his phone began to ring. He quietly excused himself and pulled the device from his pocket. His heart wrenched at the caller ID. He took a few steps farther from the group before answering the call. "Aaron?" He asked quietly, his hand finding his pocket.

"Dave." Aaron returned the formality. He sounded better. More confident even.

"You okay kiddo?" He couldn't stop the dumb question as it slipped past his lips. He shuffled his feet on the pavement before ending up just pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, the phone pressed against his ear.

Aaron quietly cleared his throat, the speech between them awkward, almost even uncomfortable. "Yeah…yeah I'm okay. How's the case?"

Rossi knew that wasn't the reason that caused Hotch to reach out like this. Of course the Unit Chief had to be bored and wanting to help, but he could have, would have just called somebody else if he really needed an update. "Aaron…" He sighed heavily. If only he had stayed. He would have been able to sort this out in person.

But then again…maybe not. He wasn't sure if he could face his best friend right now. After everything he said to him. Sure he was just worried, but it was uncalled for.

"I'm sorry."

He heard Hotch's shaky breath over the line. He bit his lip as silence fell over the line. He remained quiet as he waited for Aaron to reply.

Aaron shook his head. He ran a hand through his hair. Their argument was still vivid in his mind. He took a deep breath and swallowed, unable to find words to describe just how he was feeling. He was frustrated with himself, angry at what Rossi had said, scared from the thought of his dream becoming a reality. He was just so….tired.

"Aaron?" Rossi tried again, hating the thick silence that had fallen between them.

Aaron juggled his words in his head. "Dave…" He paused, fishing for the perfect words. "I'm just…I'm so tired of people treating me differently." His voice had a bit of an edge to it. "What you said-"

"I know what I said…" Dave cut him off, not wanting to be reminded of how he spoke to Aaron in the conference room. "And it was uncalled for. I'm sorry." He repeated, shaking his head. His voice was small, almost like a child being lectured by his parent. He hated what he had said, those words replaying in his mind.

 _"_ _Ever since Haley left you seem to have forgotten just how to feed yourself."_

"I get it kiddo, I do." He mumbled.

Aaron's eyes narrowed. "You get it Dave? How could you possibly understand what I'm going through right now?" He didn't mean to raise his voice. He had just gotten Jack to bed. He got up off the couch and walked out of the house, quietly shutting the door behind him. He stepped out into the night air, the light breeze pushing his bangs from his face.

Rossi bit his lip. Now he was stuck. At the beginning he had promised Aaron that he would have his back no matter what, but right now he was digging himself a hole with no way out. He shook his head and scratched at his neck.

Aaron was silent once again. He slowly lowered himself down to the ground, his back against the front door. "You said you would always be there." He breathed, tired of trying to be angry. He wanted to be mad at Dave, but there was no part of him that could. It had ended up just turning into frustration towards himself because Dave was absolutely right. When Haley left, he stopped taking care of himself and allowed his life to take a tumble.

"I know kiddo, and I do. I just made a mistake" Dave mumbled, feeling the team's burning looks into the back of his head. He figured they saw the parade of emotions on his face.

Silence passed over the line again.

"It's all my fault, isn't it?" Aaron finally spoke up, drawing tiny shapes In the dirt with his finger. His chest tightened. "If I took better care of myself then this wouldn't have happened."

"Aaron, you can't say that…" Rossi's heart twisted at the thought of Aaron believing everything that happened had been because he lost control of himself when Haley left.

"But if not this than it would have been something else." Aaron continued. Dave hadn't denied it.

"Thats not what I'm saying." Dave had taken a seat on the curb, his elbows resting on his knees.

He never expected Hotch to call him, especially so soon. He figured that he would be the one to call and apologize, maybe even ask him out here no matter what he had said before. He hated this phone tag. He wanted to see him in person and be able to make sure he was okay.

Silence fell between the two again as Aaron drew circles on his porch. He sighed heavily debating hanging up without another word when Dave spoke up again.

"What was your dream about?"

Dave knew he was treading dangerous water, but he wanted, no, more like needed to know what was going on in that head of his so he could help.

Aaron's breath caught in his throat. He looked at his shoes and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it." He said quietly, switching his phone to his other hand and wrapping his free arm around his knees.

"Aaron, I only want to help." Rossi pushed lightly. They had gotten farther in this phone call than he had expected and he didn't want to end it poorly, but he needed to know.

Hotch drew in a breath, letting it out shakily. "Everybody…Everybody berated me. They said I came back too early…" Tears burned the back of his eyes. He hated being seen as weak, but here he was crying on his porch. He just wanted to be normal again. "They called me disabled, and…and dumb." He was struggling with the thought of it. He shook his head, not wanting to continue, but now that he was here, he couldn't stop. "You…you wanted to give my job away." His breath caught in his throat.

Rossi was horrified that Hotch could follow along with such a god awful nightmare. Nobody on the team would ever treat Hotch like that. They weren't just a team, they were practically family. He looked down at his shoes and shook his head. "Aaron…" He breathed, wanting nothing more than to be beside his friend.

Aaron sniffled on the other line and wiped his nose. "It's okay." He said easily as he regained himself. He stood up and dusted himself up. He looked towards the front door. He rubbed his eyes, pressing his forehead against the wood. His emotions had exhausted him. "Goodnight Dave." He said, his voice barely audible.

"Goodnight, I love you kiddo."

Aaron bit his lip, but didn't reply as he ended the call. He slipped his phone back into his pocket before heading back into his house.

When the line went dead, Rossi's head dropped between his legs. He had hoped that when he apologized his conscious would be clear, but the guilt was still heavy on his shoulders. He knew Aaron wouldn't just be able to get over it. No matter what it was, Hotch carried things around for a long time after.

Rossi tangled his hands in his hair and sighed. How would they come back from this?


	13. Chapter 13

The team had gathered themselves and headed back to the hotel for the night. Morgan drove Rossi back, continuing to send worries glances in his direction. The older agent hadn't spoken much of a word since he got off the phone.

"Hey, Rossi?" Morgan broke the silence between them, once again looking over at him. "You okay?" He asked once he finally gathered Dave's attention.

Rossi nodded, however it wasn't very convincing. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He looked away once again as the call replayed in his head. He tapped his fingers against his knee as Morgan pulled into a parking spot.

He shut off the car, undid his seatbelt, and turned to face Rossi. "Come on man, spill. You and I both know you aren't fine."

Rossi knew better than to run. He sighed and shrugged. "Hotch called me. "

Morgan's brow furrowed. He had known that the relationship between the pair had been rocky for the past couple days. He hadn't intruded, deciding that it was best if they figured it out themselves. They both already had plenty to deal with. He raised an eyebrow, a form of silent question.

Rossi shook his head, his eyes at his shoes. He hadn't turned to face Morgan, wanting nothing more than to open the door and go up to his room. He was exhausted, but figured his mind would keep running and he wouldn't sleep. It wouldn't be the first time. "He's just…"

Dave didn't know how to put it. He didn't want anyone to look down on Hotch for how he was feeling. Of course he knew the team was better than that and everyone had their episodes, but he continued to open and close his mouth as the words escaped his head. "He thinks that everything's different now." He shook his head, unsure of how to continue. "Because of everything he's been through." He clarified, even though Morgan knew exactly what he was talking about.

Morgan shook his head. "Did you tell him that nothings changed?" He understood Hotch's fear, maybe not as deep as the Unit Chief, but he was still able to relate.

"Of course I have." Dave sighed, reaching for the handle. "But you know how it is." He said nonchalantly as he pulled the handle and pushed open his door.

Morgan did. He sighed lightly, his hand finding its way to Rossi's shoulder. Finally the senior agent lifted his head, his eyes finding Morgan's. "We're a family, Rossi. You can't handle everything by yourself."

All Dave did was smile and quietly thank Morgan as he slid out of the car and entered the hotel without looking back. He pulled his room key from his pocket and stepped into his room, somehow avoiding the rest of the team.

He sat on the edge of his bed, his phone in his hand. He debated calling Haley, but figured it best to give them some time to work everything out as well. It sounded like Hotch's family had already been helping him. He knew it would take Hotch time to adjust back into his job.

It would take awhile for Strauss to sign off as well. They didn't need an unstable agent in the field. He bit his lip as he imagined those words coming from Erin's mouth.

He shook his head and lay back against the pillows, crossing his arms behind his head. He looked up at the ceiling, his mind spinning.

Morgan met with everybody in the lobby, but Rossi has already gone up to his room. He sighed quietly and took a seat in the corner of a cluster of small couches. He didn't want to bother Hotch when he was healing. He figured the Unit Chief would just play off that he was okay anyway.

"Where's Rossi?" Reid piped up from his seat along the wall. He glanced over their small group before turning back to Morgan.

Morgan shook his head. "He may join us later, kid. He needs to figure out something."

With that, he figured everyone would be able to realize what he meant. Reid just nodded as he took his bag from his shoulder. "So this unsub, or most likely two unsubs-" He corrected himself as he set his bag on the ground. "It's unlikely that they use their car when stalking the victims. They would be in plain sight and nobody saw any cars out of the ordinary."

JJ nodded in agreement. "Reid mentioned earlier that our unsub's could be on foot, and now that's seeming more and more likely." She added in.

Morgan nodded. "But they're targeting these victims for a reason." He added, leaning back against the couch.

"Something could've happened to one of, or even both their wives. Garcia said that each victim cheated on their wife. What if something happened to the unsub's wife?"

Reid jumped in. "It seems more likely for it to be a father and son combo instead of two husbands. The odds of the same tragedy happening to two families-" Prentiss cut him off before he could continue his statistics.

"I think you're right, Reid. Plus this third killing. It's a lot sloppier than the other two. The unsub who ran from Morgan and Rossi was most likely the father. Whoever came to finish the job-" She shook her head. "He was hesitant with each cut. I think the son's the getaway driver."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Looks like they had a profile to deliver tomorrow.

"Get some sleep, everybody." Morgan said as he stood up and stretched. "We'll head out at eight." He headed towards the elevator, the team following.

When they stepped onto their floor, Morgan was tempted to knock on Rossi's door. He waited until everyone said their goodnights and were in their rooms before he knocked on the door.

Nothing.

He knocked again. "Rossi? Come on man. I know you're in there. It doesn't help to stew by yourself." His hand fell to the doorknob.

Rossi didn't plan on getting up anytime soon, but when he heard Morgan's voice on the other side of the door, he almost went over and opened it. Morgan was right. It would be better to talk it out with somebody instead of think about it alone, but he still didn't stand up. His gaze was stuck to the ceiling above him. Right now he just needed his space.

Morgan sighed. "We're delivering the profile tomorrow. Out the door at eight." He finished before he headed to his room.

The next day came and everybody was in the SUV's by seven fifty. Rossi slipped into the passenger's seat of Morgan's SUV.

"You know I came by last night." Morgan offered lightly as he pulled out and onto the road, the rest of the team following behind. He glanced over at Rossi, easily noticing how exhausted the senior agent looked.

Dave nodded. "I know." He straightened his jacket. He hadn't slept at all the night prior, but it didn't surprise him.

Morgan sighed quietly and focused back on the road. "Rossi? Are you okay?" He asked, breaking the silence that had formed between the two of them.

Rossi rolled his tongue around in his mouth. He took a few moments before he nodded. "Honestly?" He paused, his fingers tapping against the arm rest. "Yeah, I just wish I could be there for Hotch."

Morgan raised an eyebrow, "Rossi, you've always been there for Hotch. Even I know that just from watching the two of you."

Rossi shook his head. "I've said some things that I shouldn't have." He sighed.

"Then all you can do is give him some space until he realizes that you didn't mean it." Morgan offered. Sure he wasn't the best at mending relationships, but with how long Hotch and Rossi have been friends, he figured they wouldn't give up on each other that easily. "We all say dumb stuff in the moment."

Rossi nodded, falling silent once more as Morgan drove the remainder of the way to the station.

They began to give the profile. Morgan started it off. "We're looking for a father and son duo. Most likely between the ages of late forties to early fifties, and the son would be in his twenties." JJ picked it up from there. "The son is most likely there against his will. The father killed the first two victims, however the son killed the third and was much more hesitant with each wound." She nodded. "We aren't sure yet what could have happened to the unsub's wife, but we're having our technical analyst go over a list of possibilities."

Reid then picked up the conversation. He began spouting out random facts and possibilities that would make the most sense. He seemed to lose most of the officers, but of course he didn't notice. He pointed out a few things on a map he had color coded of the unsub's and their hunting grounds.

Rossi's phone started ringing, he sighed quietly and pulled his phone from his pocket, planning on silencing it and continuing on with the profile. Then he saw the Caller ID. He mumbled a quiet word to Prentiss before he turned and stepped into one of the many offices around them. He answered the phone, worry building in his chest.

"Haley? What happened?"


	14. Chapter 14

**(Sooooo Um guess who is back and completely better than ever? I know I know, I'm sorry about my sudden hiatus, but it was much needed. I took a break from everything. I also had to deal with an injury that put a dent on my career as a whole, but after a couple months of pt I'm back and ready to continue this story! I'm sorry for the like 5 month cliffhanger ^^' Hope y'all can forgive me! Love y'all!)**

Hotch wasn't able to get much sleep that night. He had read Jack his story, called Rossi, and was now laying in his bed beside Haley, his eyes up at the ceiling. He sighed quietly and turned on his side, his back to the woman beside him. He looked at the wall. He would be lying if he said that his mind hadn't wandered to his team. He had no idea how everything was going on their end.

He shifted again, his arms finding their way underneath his head. He closed his eyes, wanting to sleep, but nothing would ever come. He continued to toss and turn throughout the night, surprised that Haley hadn't woken up yet. He couldn't help himself as he continued to shift. He ended where he started. He lay on his back, his arms behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling.

The room had slowly began to flood with light. He glanced beside him as Haley shifted. She slowly turned to face him. Her eyes opened, searching his tired face. She reached up, silent as she reached out for him. She could tell just from the look on his face that he hadn't slept at all. She sighed quietly and squeezed his arm.

Aaron shimmied himself out of the covers and sat up, pressing his back against the headboard. He grabbed his hearing aids off the nightstand and slipped them over his ears. He turned them on just in time to hear the ending of Haley's 'good morning.'

He mumbled a quiet reply as Haley scooted closer to him. She lay her head on his shoulder, draping her arm across his chest. "You okay?" She asked quietly, looking up at him. She knew what his answer was going to be, but she figured that she might as well ask.

He nodded, wrapping his arm around her as she relaxed into him. "I'm fine." He responded quick, his mind returning to everything he had thought through overnight. He wanted to be cleared for the field. Haley was right. His team would have his back. They were always there when he was in the hospital, as well as recovery.

He was going back over everything he remembered. Everything he had heard about while he was out. How Rossi never left his side no matter what had happened. His family would always have his back.

He blinked, finding his way back to the world. He hadn't even noticed Haley leaving his side. He glanced at the alarm clock on her side.

'8:06'

He figured Jack had woken up and she left to make breakfast. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, heading to the kitchen.

He was barely out of the bedroom before Jack was running at him full speed. Jack jumped into his dad's open arms, giggling.

"Morning buddy." Hotch smiled as he carried the young child to his seat at the table.

He set him down and headed towards Haley who was standing at the stove making pancakes. "Good morning." He said properly since his one before wasn't exactly the best.

Haley flipped the pancake over and turned to look at him. She sighed quietly and shook her head. "You're still the same man, Aaron."

Hotch's brow raised. "And you thought I'd change?"

Haley shrugged. Her fingers tapped against the edge of the pan as she turned back to her task. "I just...No."

He pulled her away from the stove for a second and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Haley, but you know me. You know how I run. I just can't take sitting back anymore." He pulled away from her.

She sighed again and turned back to the stove. "I know..." She took the pancake off the stove and rested it on a plate. "Can you give this to Jack please?" She asked as she handed Hotch the plate.

Hotch nodded and heading to the table. He grabbed a knife and cut it up for Jack before setting the plate in front of him. He ruffled his hair and handed him a fork. "Eat up buddy."

Breakfast was wrapped up in half an hour and the three were left to fend for themselves. Jack left to go play on his room.

Hotch sat on the couch. He tapped his fingers against his knee. He could feel the small twitch in his arm. He sighed. He debated calling the team and checking in.

Haley took a seat next to him. She could tell what he was thinking just from the look on his face. "Call them." She said giving him a nudge.

He shrugged. "They can get through it without me."

She laughed. "I know you don't believe that."

He bit his lip, flexing his fingers as he avoided to small tremor in his arm. "They'll call me if they need anything."

And he was right.

About three hours later, Morgan called Hotch asking questions.

"Hey Hotch, hows it hanging over there man?" Morgan's voice rang out on the other line.

Hotch sighed. He had stepped away from Haley who had fallen asleep on the couch. He sat on their bed. "I'm fine. How is it out in Texas?"

"We were in the house when the killer tried to come in and take another life." Morgan sighed. He ran a hand over his head. "Bastard vanished before we could catch him."

Hotch shook his head. "No leads?"

"The kid thinks that the unsub's are on foot, but we aren't sure yet."

Hotch and Morgan conversed about the case and what they had uncovered.

After an hour and a half, Hotch's mind was made up. "I'm coming out there."

Morgan sighed heavily. Rossi had told them not to get Hotch involved. He had warned them, as if they didn't know their boss well enough to know that he wasn't planning on sitting out any longer. "Hotch, really, it's fine. We're handling it."

"My decision is final Morgan. I'll be there tomorrow."

Hotch went back inside to find Haley awake on the couch.

"Where'd you go off to?" Haley asked worriedly.

"I was just on the porch talking to Morgan."

Haley brightened and nodded.

Jack ran from his room and grabbed Aaron's hand. "Come play with me."

Aaron smiled down at his son. Again he would be leaving him, but he knew that it was better for the both of them in the long run. He would always be there for Jack and Haley. He would always love the two of them to death.

He followed Jack into his room and played with a couple superhero's, breaking for food every so often.

They ended the night with a movie, which both Jack and Haley fell asleep during.

Hotch picked up Jack and tucked him into bed before he started to gather his things. He already called Strauss about meeting with a doctor to finally be cleared. Erin had promised to have one waiting in Hotch's office by the time he made it there.

He threw his duffel bag over his shoulder and headed back into the living room. It was about eight o'clock at night and Haley was out cold. He scribbled a quick note and left it on the coffee table. It wasn't anything super detailed, just that he was going to meet with the team. There was also a small note about how much he loved them and thanking her for everything she had done.

He placed a light kiss on her forehead before heading to his son's room and doing the same to him.

And then he was gone. He locked the door behind him and called an agent to pick him up and take him to the office.

Aaron arrived and stepped into his office. A doctor, like Erin had promised, was sitting in front of his desk.

"Dr. Smith?" Hotch asked, recognizing the man who had been on his case since the beginning.

The doctor stood up and offered a small smile. "Agent Hotchner, I heard you're waiting to be cleared?"

Hotch nodded.

"Great, let me just do a couple tests."

Hotch sat down at his desk and let him run his tests.

Haley woke up around nine in the morning to Jack begging for food. She blinked as the harsh sunlight danced across her face. She raised an eyebrow. "Ask daddy to make you something," she said quietly.

"He's not here."

She shot up off the couch. "What?" She looked around the house frantically, not knowing where he had run off to. She checked the bedroom, the porch, garage, bathroom, kitchen, everywhere. He wasn't there.

She sat on the couch and finally noticed the note. She sighed heavily as she read where he had gone off too. She called it earlier, but she was hoping that just this once he would have been smarter.

She pulled out her phone and called Rossi, wanting to make sure he had got in all right.

Rossi answered almost immediately. "Haley? What's wrong?"

"Is Aaron there?" She sighed and ran a hand through her bed head, her mouth twisting as she caught a knot.

Rossi's brow furrowed. "What? No. Isn't he with you?"

"No. He left last night. He left me a note saying that he was meeting you."

Rossi sighed. "He never mentioned it to me. I'll give him a call and figure all of this out."

She thanked him and ended the call.

As soon as Rossi had pulled up Hotch's number, Strauss was calling him. He muttered an inaudible curse and answered. "Rossi."

"David-" she started.

"Ma'am?"

"Aaron's been released and he's on his way."

 **(What is up y'all :) so pumped to be back. Also I had like another idea for a story? It would be following Rossi and idk how y'all would feel about it but let me know! It wouldn't be connected to this series. I just thought about it the other day lol. Let me know what y'all think. Love y'all!)**


	15. Chapter 15

Aaron Hotchner walked into the police department with a new found confidence. Finally he was released. He had gone through his recovery with many ups and downs, but now he was here and more than ready.

He knew that his team had his back and they always would.

He rolled his shoulders back and asked the nearest officer to point him in the right direction.

Hotch knocked on the closed door before pushing it open. He stepped into the conference room.

Everyone around him held there breath. Neither Rossi, nor Morgan had mentioned that their boss would be back. They didn't even know that each other knew.

Prentiss was in shock at first, a glimmer of worry shone in her eye for only a second before it was replaced with a smile as she abandoned the file and went to hug the man.

Reid brushed his hair from his face, a bright smile clear as day. He stood up and followed Prentiss.

JJ got up as well.

The other two hung back. Morgan looked to Rossi and rolled his eyes at the look on his face. "You knew too didn't you?"

Rossi raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Strauss called me. My guess is that he called you?" After everything, he figured he wasn't Hotch's number one man.

Morgan nodded, his hands in his pockets. "Yeah last night. He said his mind was made up and that he was coming no matter what. When's he get cleared?"

"Late last night. He flew out early this morning."

It was weird, seeing Hotch smiling, especially with the case they had. It wasn't a giant smile or anything, but it was genuine. He was happy to be back with his team. Where he belonged.

Everybody finished their friendly exchanges before Rossi brought their attention back to the case.

He took a step forward and tapped against his file on the table. "Glad to have you back, Aaron, but there are some important matters."

Hotch took the hint and nodded. "Right. Thanks. Dave, can you fill me in?"

Rossi nodded as the group began to explain everything that had happened.

"The unsub's are most likely related. A father and son duo. They do their surveillance on foot; however, at each murder there was a getaway car, whom we're assuming would be the son. The fathers cuts are much more confident compared to the son, who is most likely there against his will."

Hotch nodded. He had opened the file and was reading along. "Has Garcia run a list of husbands who lost their wife recently?"

"Nothing came up." Prentiss sighed. "We're having her backtrack a bit and see if she can find anything from awhile back. Something could've happened to his wife awhile ago and something set him off. She's working on it now."

Hotch nodded. "If we know his target list, why don't we have them in protective custody yet?"

"We have agents outside their house right now. If these unsub's try anything we'll stop them." Morgan looked at Hotch. His eyes scanned over him. He looked okay. Maybe a little tired, but that wasn't unusual for him. He looked...better. More at peace. It was insane how much two days could calm somebody down.

Hotch nodded. "We need to figure out a plan. After the scare, they aren't going to hold back for long. Their going to want to finish up what they started before they get caught."

Rossi agreed. "Let's put a couple agents in the house, but they won't strike if the kids are home."

"We'll have the kids leave and head here. They'll be safe here, and away from the house. From what we've got, the unsub's travel in the daylight. If their on foot, there's nothing to see in the dark. We'll have to move fast so we can get in without being noticed." Hotch finished.

The team nodded.

Rossi hid a small smile with his hand. Hotch was already falling back into his role as if nothing happened. He just looked so much better. He was stronger, mentally. He was more like Hotch before his downfall.

Maybe things would return to normal.

"They know that we have agents outside. Call them and let them know our plan before having all but a couple come back. We'll head back there tonight."

Everyone filed out, leaving Hotch and Rossi behind.

"You look better." Rossi observed quietly as he leaned against the table.

Hotch looked up from the file and flashed him a tiny smile. He nodded. "I definitely feel better now that I'm out here."

He still avoided eye contact, but the smile was still genuine. It was a good sign. Sort of.

"Really, I'm glad you're back kiddo." Rossi nonchalantly flipped through the file.

Hotch nodded. He meant to respond, but he had started reading over the file again and became invested. His finger traced over the notes as he pressed them into his head. He took a seat and breezed through the file.

Rossi knew he wasn't trying to ignore him, but he quietly excused himself to grab a coffee. He was almost out the door when he heard Hotch's quiet call.

"Hey Dave?"

He turned. "Yeah kiddo?"

Hotch kept his eyes down at the file, but lifted his hand and held it up for Rossi to see.

Rossi smiled at the gesture. His guilt and anxiety lifted a bit as he looked over at Hotch's hand which spelled out _"I love you"_ in ASL.

"Back at you, kiddo." He said. He watched the corners of Hotch's lips turn up. He smiled himself and tapped the doorframe before he left to grab the coffee that he had initially planned on.

Everybody was ready to leave around nine.

"JJ, get some rest. We'll send the kids over in the morning. Prentiss will come back with them. Be ready at eight." Hotch said as he gathered a couple of his things to take with him.

Rossi drove the group over to the Thompson house. The plan was to have everyone inside and the cars away by morning so the unsub's wouldn't know they were there. Once they were in the house, they were going to block off the street.

Hotch's phone started ringing. He was so focused on thinking everything through that he hadn't registered the sound.

Rossi nudged him.

"Hm?"

"Answer you're phone." He said quietly, his attention fixed on the road.

Hotch's brow furrowed as he grabbed his phone from his pocket, surprised that he hadn't heard a thing. He quietly thanked Dave and answered Garcia's call. "What do you have Garcia?" He asked as he put the phone on speaker.

"Okay okay okay! I finally have it narrowed down to three families who have lost their wife slash mother."

"Perfect. Can you narrow them down any further? Look for anything sudden. Anniversaries, deaths, anything."

"You got it, sir!"

Hotch nodded and set his phone in the cup holder. He hadn't slept in well over twenty-four hours, but he felt fine. It wasn't unusual for him not to sleep during a case to begin with.

They arrived at the house. Rossi knocked on the door, the other agents letting them inside. They switched places and the agents took the SUV and headed back.

Now all they had to do was wait. Rossi explained to the family who they were and what they planned on doing. Despite the fear in Toni's eyes, he agreed.

The family went to bed and that left the group of agents down in the living room.

Morgan and Reid ended up falling asleep cuddled up on the couch which Prentiss was passed out on a chair.

Rossi and Hotch; however, sat at the table in the kitchen.

Rossi lightly tapped his fingers against the table. He looked up and saw Hotch's contoured face. He raised an eyebrow. Just how much was this man thinking?

Rossi lightly tapped Hotch's arm before signing.

 _"_ _What's wrong?"_ He knew how much Aaron had started to despise whispering or talking softly. He either never heard it, or couldn't hear himself when he was talking.

Hotch looked at him, paying attention, as soon as he felt the light touch on his arm. He shrugged. _"I should've talked to Haley instead of leaving a note."_

Rossi nodded in agreement. _"True, but you know her and she knows you. She didn't expect anything different. She knew you would join us."_

 _"_ _I know."_

They stopped conversing. Rossi returned to his thoughts, tapping his fingers.

Hotch nudged Rossi's arm, causing the older man to look up.

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _Dave, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to act the way I did."_

 _"_ _Aaron, it's okay. I understand. I was the one out of line, not you."_

Aaron shrugged, tapping his fingers against the back of his hand. _"So we're okay?"_ He finally signed.

Rossi nodded, offering a smile as well _. "Of course. I love you."_

The smile on Aaron's face almost resembled that of a small child as he returned David's gesture.

Around three in the morning, Garcia called. Hotch excused himself out of conversation and headed outside as quietly as he could.

"Yeah Garcia?" He asked when he was outside.

"I've narrowed it down. His name is Keith Marshall. Both him and his son Isaac work at an animal shelter. They're dog walkers."

Hotch sighed. "That's why they're on foot. What happened to his wife?"

"The wife died a year ago. Breast cancer. It was just the one year anniversary."

"That's the stressor. Great. Good work Garcia. Did you find any evidence of a bad marriage?"

"No, sir. Everything I see is that they were the perfect family before all of this."

Hotch sighed and nodded. "Alright. Thanks Garcia. Great work." He hung up and headed back inside.

Rossi looked up as Hotch came back to the table. _"What'd she find?"_

Hotch shook his head as he spoke. "Wake them up. We need to brief everybody."


	16. Chapter 16

Rossi and Hotch had woken everybody up to explain what Garcia had found and what was going on.

"Why would he be targeting these dads? Sure I know they've made mistakes, but come on man." Morgan uttered sleepily.

"Hotch and I think it's because they never treated their wife up to the intended expectations of a marriage. Keith Marshall had the perfect life until his wife, Jennifer was diagnosed with terminal cancer." Rossi sat on the arm of the couch. They had let everybody sleep till about six before actually deciding to wake them up.

Before then, the pair had decided to get all of the facts straight and run through the plan again.

They were catching these unsub's.

Prentiss waited for the kids to get ready.

It was always awkward with FBI agents just hanging around the house, especially a group as big as this.

Toni made a quick breakfast for his kids.

The oldest finished first and hugged his dad. "We'll be waiting for you at the station. See you soon dad." He smiled weakly at his dad and headed towards the front door. He wiped his face on his sleeve and drew a deep breath as he searched for his shoes.

The other two finished up their meals and grabbed a small bag they packed.

The youngest wrapped her arms around Toni. She drew a deep breath and shook her head. "We'll see you soon. I love you."

Toni offered her a tiny, reassuring smile. "I love you too kiddo. I promise I'll be there to pick you up in a couple hours."

She nodded. "Stay safe."

And with that, they were off and heading to the station.

The guys were left in the living room.

Hotch glanced at his watch and nodded. "Right. Let's get into place. Everybody put on your vests. Mr. Thompson, come with me."

Everybody grabbed their vests from their bags and slipped them over their torso's.

Hotch grabbed his and led Mr. Thompson to the kitchen table. "We'll have Morgan with you in here, Reid walking the halls, and Dave and I will be in the living room. If you see anything, tell Morgan. If anything happens, let us handle it. Somebody will be here with you at all times."

He slid his vest over his head and tightened it around his body.

Thompson nodded in agreement. "Got it."

"Reid!" Hotch called, the young agent hustling into the kitchen. He nodded and stood by the table.

Hotch exchanged a glance and a small nod with the kid as he headed back into the living room with Dave. Morgan had already gone into the hallway.

By now they knew his MO of coming straight in through the front door, but after getting caught last time, they weren't sure if he would change it up.

Dave and Hotch stood in the living room, continuing to scan the area around them.

After what felt like forever, but was only around thirty minutes, a constant scraping could be heard at the front door.

"He's here." Hotch mumbled into his coms as both him and Rossi pulled their guns from their belt. They raised their weapons and held their ground, sneaking a tiny step forward every few seconds.

The door swung open and there stood a man in black. Keith Marshall in all his glory. He froze, taking a second to regain himself before he turned around and broke into a sprint, dropping his knife on the porch.

Hotch cursed under his breath, which was louder than he intended and headed after him. The chase took off down the road. Hotch was gaining on him. He raised his gun to take the shot.

He bit his lip and growled as the muscle in his arm slowly twisted, creating a small spasm. He stretched his fingers and continued running.

The unsub has gained a bit of ground, but Hotch and Rossi were right behind him.

As soon as Hotch had given the word that their guy was at the door, Morgan had called in the police to block off the street. There wouldn't be anywhere for him to go.

Keith Marshall slammed his heels into the ground as soon as he saw the barricades.

Hotch and Rossi slowed to a stop, their guns raised. Hotch's arm continued to almost shiver. He furrowed his brow and tried his best to ignore it as he took a small step forward. "Keith Marshall, you are under arrest for the murder of Scott Trim, George Newcombe, and Anthony Haynes. Turn around with your hands in the air."

He obeyed. Slowly the man turned around, his blond locks spilling out of the side of his hat. He raised his hands in the air.

Rossi latched his gun and grabbed his cuffs. He stepped towards Marshall.

Marshall reacted and pulled a gun from the back of his pants. He raised it and aimed at Rossi in no time at all.

Hotch was faster.

Before he even saw the gun, he was able to calm down his nerves. He took a deep breath, relaxing every muscle in his body, and pulled the trigger, something that he had been taught long ago.

The bullet hit Marshall square in the shoulder. This jerked his arm back, but the shot still fired straight in the air as the gun clattered to the ground. He grabbed his shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers.

"Somebody get a medic!" Hotch yelled.

Rossi was frozen in his place for a second. He blinked, shaken by the thought of how that situation could've turned. He took a deep breath and kicked the gun away from Marshall as he went around to his back and wrenched his arms into the cuffs, despite the cry of pain.

The cops came and took Marshall away. They mentioned how they already grabbed the son. He was found sitting in his truck maybe a block away.

Rossi, still shaken by everything, turned to Hotch. "Uh...Thanks kiddo." He shook his head. "I don't want to think about what could've happened if you didn't have my back."

Hotch nodded. It wasn't like it was a dumb decision any of them made. They had no idea that Marshall had a gun. It didn't fit with his MO so they ignored the possibility. With all of the guns pointed on him, that move was a Hail Mary.

"You know I'll always have your back Dave, just like you've had mine." Hotch nodded and turned on his heels. "Come on, the teams waiting."

Dave smiled and nodded, following Hotch back to the Thompson house.

The team gathered up at the house and piled into the car, bringing the dad with them. Reid had phoned ahead to tell JJ that the case was over and they could start wrapping up to head back.

Mr. Thompson stepped into the police office. As soon as his children saw him, all three of them ran to him with open arms. They wrapped their arms each other, their smiles contagious as everyone slipped around them to pack up their things in the Conference room.

Officer Keith Medford stood, waiting for them. Prentiss and JJ has already started pulling the pictures and information off the board.

Medford held out his hand to Rossi. "Thanks for you're help. Y'all have no idea how much y'all helped us on this case."

Rossi nodded and shook his hand. "Don't mention it. It's our job. Happy to help."

Everything was packed up, and the group decided to spend one more night in Texas. They decided to sit down for a nice meal. Finally they were a family again. Hotch was back and everything was returning to normal.

They sat around a circular table, exchanging stories and laughter. Hotch lightly tapped his glass with his spoon, causing everybody to look at him.

"You guys have no idea how much you all mean to me. Every step of this journey, you have all been there for me and had my back. This road to recovery wasn't easy, and I know that I put some of you through hell." He glanced at Rossi, who only gave an encouraging nod. "But I just want to thank you all for being beside me. You guys are family, and I love you."

 **(This is most likely the last chapter of Road to Recovery. There won't be a third book (unless I just think of something amazing lol), but there could possibly be a couple side stories along the way so watch out for those! There may be an epilogue here too, sooner or later lol. I hope y'all enjoyed the journey! I'm sorry for my sudden hiatus during the middle of it, but things come up, ya know? Let me know what y'all think! I promise I already have another fic in the making, I'm just planning everything out first. Thanks for a good ride y'all :) I love y'all!)**


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